At an overseas education consultancy in the Indian capital, Delhi, students sit with their parents, flipping through brochures from universities in Italy, Germany, and Australia. But one destination, once the top choice, is now largely absent.
Shobhit Anand, who runs the consultancy, notes that until 2023, most of their applications were for Canada. Now, he says they have seen a drop of nearly 80%. People don't want to apply to Canada anymore. We are also seeing a very high visa rejection rate, he explains.
According to a report submitted by Canada's auditor general to parliament, the share of Indians in the country's incoming international student population plummeted to just 8.1% in September 2025, down from 51.6% in 2023. Factors contributing to this decline include visa and immigration restrictions, escalating living costs, and a recent diplomatic crisis impacting ties between India and Canada.
Historically, Canada attracted many Indian families as private colleges offered a bypass path to studying and eventually settling in the country. The process seemed relatively straightforward until recent policy changes disrupted this flow. In early 2024, Canada capped admissions for international students to 350,000 annually, a decision that heavily affected Indian applicants.
Moreover, rising living costs, alongside stricter financial requirements, have made studying in Canada less feasible for many. The Guaranteed Investment Certificate needed for studying and living in Canada doubled from C$10,000 to over C$20,000, creating significant financial hurdles.
With visa rejections climbing from 38% in 2023 to 52% in 2024, families are hesitant to take risks with their investments in overseas education. As such, the focus is shifting from how to go to Canada to whether to go at all.
Students, such as Tanishq Khurana, are weighing their options more carefully. Despite considering staying in India for his undergraduate studies, the lure of Canada remains due to family connections and perceived better job opportunities. However, the experiences of other students who battled through job scarcity upon graduation have raised considerable fears.
While diplomatic relations improve and new partnerships emerge between educational institutions in Canada and India, the pathways for Indian students are no longer as clear-cut as they once were. The promise of a Canadian study permit leading to a comfortable life is uncertain, transforming aspirations into risks for many young Indians.
