New Delhi: Canada has recorded a sharp decline in study permits issued to Indian students in 2025. According to a report by ICEF Monitor, approvals fell from 188,255 in 2024 to just 52,765 in the first seven months of 2025, a 50% year-on-year drop. The total for the year is projected to reach around 90,454, representing a 67.5% decrease from 2023 levels, as reported by the Economic Times.
The ICEF Monitor report shows that between January and June 2025, Canada processed 143,485 study permit applications from all nationalities, including 104,980 new applicants. Of these, only 31,580 were approved, resulting in an approval rate of just above 30%, down from 51% in the same period in 2024.
Indian students continue to constitute a major share of Canada’s international student population, particularly in provinces like Ontario, where they make up over 60% of enrolments.
The steep decline has forced educational institutions to adopt emergency measures, including offering scholarships and increasing online course options to attract students, the report added.
Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has set a cap of 316,276 new international students for 2025. However, current trends suggest that only 20–30% of this target may be achieved.
From January to July 2025, only 44,105 new international students arrived in Canada, marking a 68.97% drop from 142,175 in the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, the total number of active study permit holders declined from 1,023,785 in January 2024 to 785,830 by July 2025, a 23.2% overall decrease.