Canada’s new restrictions on international student visas have badly affected Indian students. According to recent government data, the number of Indian applicants has dropped sharply, and many are now being rejected. In early 2025, Canada reduced the number of international study permits for the second year in a row. The goal is to control temporary migration and stop student visa fraud. In August 2025, about 74% of study permit applications from India were rejected, compared to 32% in August 2024. Overall, 40% of all study permit applications were refused, and 24% from China were turned down. The number of Indian applicants fell from 20,900 in August 2023 to 4,515 in August 2025. Even though India has been Canada’s largest source of international students for more than ten years, it now faces the highest refusal rate. Canada is also planning to give its immigration department new powers to cancel groups of temporary visas if fraud is suspected, especially in applications from India and Bangladesh. The move is part of a new law called Bill C-12, which is linked to Canada’s border security legislation.
However, more than 300 human rights groups have warned that this law could lead to mass deportations. Because of tighter verification checks, the processing time for temporary resident visa (TRV) applications from India has increased from 30 days in 2023 to 54 days in 2024. Approvals also fell from 63,000 in January 2024 to 48,000 in June. Nearly 1,900 Indian applicants were questioned further about their documents. Canadian officials said the new powers are not targeting any particular group and would only be used with high-level approval. Meanwhile, Canada and India are trying to improve their diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada during the June 2025 G7 summit showed signs of better ties. Both countries have also appointed new high commissioners to rebuild cooperation.
