Canadian study permit approvals for Indian students fall sharply in 2025
Feb 23rd 2026
ICEF Monitor and Economic Times report steep declines in approvals and arrivals, with only 52,765 permits issued to Indian students in Jan–Jul 2025 and broader drops across international study permits.
- ICEF Monitor reports a 50% year-on-year drop in approvals for Indian students, from 188,255 in 2024 to 52,765 in the first seven months of 2025.
- ICEF estimates 2025 could end with about 90,454 approvals for Indian students, which is 67.5% below 2023 levels.
- Canada processed 143,485 study permit applications across all nationalities between Jan and Jun 2025, of which 104,980 were from new applicants and 31,580 were approved, giving an approval rate just above 30% versus 51% in the same period of 2024.
- Only 44,105 new international students arrived in Canada from Jan to Jul 2025, down 68.97% from 142,175 in the same period of 2024, and active study permit holders fell from 1,023,785 in Jan 2024 to 785,830 by Jul 2025, a 23.2% decline.
- Indian students still account for a major share of international enrolments, representing over 60% in Ontario, and the decline has prompted institutions to offer emergency measures such as scholarships and expanded online course options.
- IRCC set a cap of 316,276 new international students for 2025, but current trends suggest only 20 to 30 percent of that target may be met.