Canada Rejects 74% of Indian Study Permit Applicantions In August 2025: Report
In August 2025, Canada reportedly rejected nearly 74 percent of study-permit applications from Indian students, which is one of the highest rejection rates in recent years. The figure marks a sharp rise from earlier averages of 35-40 percent and reflects the continuing strain in India and Canada relations following diplomatic tensions, policy tightening, and new scrutiny measures on international admissions.
The number of Indian applicants fell dramatically from 20,900 in August 2023 to 4,515 in August 2025. While rejection rates for Chinese students stood at just 24%.
As per the data from Canadian immigration consultants and university admission offices, most rejections were concentrated in community colleges and private institutions, while students applying to top-tier public universities saw slightly better approval rates.
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) attributed the higher rejection numbers to “incomplete documentation, fraudulent acceptance letters, and unverifiable financial proofs.” However, analysts suggest that the real reasons lie in Canada’s policy recalibration toward international education, rising housing shortages, and pressure on provincial resources.
Notably, Indian students form the largest international cohort in Canada, with over 320,000 enrolments in 2024. Ottawa has already introduced a cap on new international study permits for 2025–26, reducing the total by nearly 35 percent and requiring stricter “attestation letters” from provinces. The policy shift aims to ensure that foreign students have adequate housing and that colleges maintain transparency in recruitment practices.
Indian education consultants fear that the current rejection wave could discourage thousands of aspirants planning to join Canada’s January 2026 intake.
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Meanwhile, students are increasingly exploring alternative destinations such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and the United States, where post-study visa pathways remain stable.
Experts believe that unless diplomatic and regulatory cooperation between New Delhi and Ottawa improves, Canada risks losing its reputation as a reliable and inclusive higher-education hub for Indian students, a segment that contributes billions of dollars annually to its economy.
