As per the government data, nearly three among four Indian applications to study in Canada were rejected in August 2025. This marked a steep rise in refusal rates as Ottawa tightens its student visa system to curb migration misuse and document fraud.
Citing figures reported by Reuters, Canada denied about 74% of study permit requests from Indian applicants in August this year which is more than double the 32% rejection rate from August 2023. At the moment the country’s overall study permit denial rate stood around 40%, while Chinese applicants saw a 24% rejection rate.
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Data also showed that there was a sharp decline in Indian applications- 20,900 in August 2023 to just 4,515 in August 2025, suggesting that students are increasingly turning away from what was once among the most sought-after global study destinations.
India hit hardest as Canada tightens migration policy
The rejections follow Canada’s move to reduce international student permits for the second consecutive year as a part of its temporary migration cap. Ottawa has cited widespread misuse of the student route for residency and job access.
Over 1,550 fake acceptance letters were discovered by Canadian immigration officials in 2023 and many of them were linked to India. Later, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) acknowledged that more than 14,000 suspected fraudulent letters from applications submitted the previous year had been identified by a new digital verification system.
A spokesperson for the department told Reuters that the system aims to ensure that only genuine students gain entry, adding that financial thresholds for applicants have been raised to reflect higher living costs.
India urges fair evaluation; diplomatic backdrop lingers
Responding to the growing rejection rate, the Indian Embassy in Ottawa acknowledged awareness of the issue but said visa issuance remains a sovereign Canadian decision.
“We would like to emphasise that some of the best quality students available in the world are from India, and Canadian institutions have greatly benefited from their talent and academic excellence,” the Embassy said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
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The rejections come at a time when New Delhi and Ottawa are still working to stabilise diplomatic relations, strained since the tenure of former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
During a recent visit to India, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Ottawa was focused on “protecting the integrity of its immigration system,” but maintained that Canada “continues to welcome Indian students” as part of its academic ecosystem.
