Indians worst hit as Canada cuts down on student intake, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Indian students are significantly impacted by Canada's decision to reduce international student intake.
• New study permits and renewals for Indian students dropped by 16% in April 2026 compared to April 2025, following an 84% decline from April 2024.
• Canada's 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plans (ILP) slashes the annual cap on new foreign student permits by 50% compared to its 2025-2027 plan.
• In April 2025, permits issued to Indians fell by 81% to 6,895 from 36,510 in April 2024.
• Indian students, who were the largest group, saw their share of international students in Canada decline from a peak of 41.2% in 2022 to 24.6% in 2025.

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Detailed Insights:

• Canada was the most preferred destination for Indian students, hosting about 34% of the 12.54 lakh Indian students studying abroad in 2025.
• The total number of student permit holders in Canada decreased by 44% from 6.8 lakh in 2023 to 3.8 lakh in 2025.
• While overall international student numbers fell by 44%, the number of Indian students in Canada dropped by a steeper 66% from 2.78 lakh in 2023 to 93,915 in 2025.
• A Reuters report indicated that 74% of Indian applications for study permits in Canada were rejected in August 2025, up from 32% in August 2023.
• Other popular study destinations are also tightening policies, with a 13% decline in Indian students entering the U.K. in 2024-25.
• Australia moved Indian students from evidence level 2 to evidence level 3, or the 'highest risk' category, for visa applications.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Immigration Levels Plans (ILP): A Canadian government framework outlining the number of immigrants and temporary residents, including students, to be admitted over a multi-year period.