Canada has sharply increased its refusal rate for international student permits, with applicants from India facing the most significant impact, according to recent government data.

In August 2025, approximately 74% of study permit applications from Indian nationals were rejected, compared with about 32% in August 2023. By contrast, the overall rejection rate for that same month was nearly 40%, and for Chinese applicants, it was approximately 24%.

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The number of Indian applicants has also dropped markedly — from 20,900 in August 2023 to 4,515 in August 2025. India has been the country’s largest source of international students for years.

The surge in rejections comes amid tightening by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on the number of permits issued,

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