Canada’s cost of living and housing crisis, along with a difficult job market, were main factors in the drop in study permit applications from India, a recent report says.

According to Apply Board, a Waterloo-based tech company that helps international students apply for post-secondary studies abroad, applications from Indian students are down 40%.

From July to October 2022, the Canadian government processed almost 146,000 new study permit applications from India, but last year only processed less than 87,000 applications during the same time frame.

However, the opposite is true from January to June of both years, where 25% more study permit applications were processed last year as compared to 2022.