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Indian students looking for overseas degree opportunities will need to explore new alternatives as Canada has significantly reduced its international student permit programme.
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said, “We’re granting 35 per cent fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10 per cent. Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.”
In January, Canada’s immigration minister Marc Miller mentioned that a 35 per cent reduction would result in 364,000 approved study permits for 2024. However, with an additional 10 per cent cut, only 327,000 student permits are expected to be issued in 2025.
This significant reduction in permits may lead students to consider alternatives in Eastern Europe, according to an education consultant.
The cap on international students and tighter work visa regulations have led thousands of students to consider other countries right from the application stage. In April, the Indian government informed Parliament that over 1.3 million Indian students were studying abroad in 2024.
According to a PTI report based on government data, of the 1.33 million Indian students overseas, 427,000 were in Canada, 337,630 in the US, 8,580 in China, eight in Greece, 900 in Israel, 14 in Pakistan, and 2,510 in Ukraine.
Education consultants predict that uncertainty around higher education in Canada will persist, with a continued decline until the country’s elections, scheduled for October 2025, the report said.
At the University of Toronto, one of Canada’s largest institutions, applications from Indian students have dropped by 40 per cent this year. Joseph Wong, the university’s Vice-President for International Affairs, described this decline as significant. In an interview with Mint in May, he stated that the lack of clarity and uncertainty has dampened interest, which is reflected in the reduced number of applications from Indian students this year.
Indian students typically go abroad in two waves — once during the August-September intake and again in January-February.
Housing shortage in Canada
Over the past year, it has become increasingly challenging for students to move to Canada. The country is experiencing a severe housing shortage, leaving many incoming students with limited accommodation options.
Additionally, starting in 2024, Canada has raised the required amount for the Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from CAD$10,000 (Rs 6 lakh) to CAD$20,635 (Rs 12 lakh). A GIC serves as a secure investment and is used to demonstrate that a student has the financial resources to cover living expenses in Canada. Students can obtain a GIC through Canadian financial institutions.
Countries like the US, Canada, Australia, and Germany remain popular choices for students pursuing engineering, medicine, and science degrees. However, both Australia and Canada have tightened their student intake in the past year and a half, implementing stricter background checks and increasing GIC requirements, the report said.