Canada rejected 74% Indian student visa applications in August 2025
What's the story
Canada rejected a staggering 74% of Indian student visa applications in August 2025, according to official immigration data. This is a sharp rise from the 32% rejection rate in August 2023, Reuters reported. In comparison, around 40% of all global student permit applications were refused during both years. In stark comparison, the rejection rate for Chinese students was significantly lower at only 24%.
Application decline
Significant decline in Indian applicants
However, the number of Indian applicants has also witnessed a steep decline, from 20,900 in August 2023 to just 4,515 in August 2025. Despite this drop, India still had the highest refusal rate among countries with over 1,000 accepted applicants. The increase in rejections comes as Canada tightens its immigration policies and fraud detection measures, even as a thaw in ties is seen between Ottawa and New Delhi.
Fraud crackdown
Canada tightens scrutiny, raises financial requirements for international students
Canada's immigration department has stepped up its fraud detection efforts after uncovering over 1,550 fake study permit applications in 2023. Most of these were linked to forged acceptance letters from Indian agents, according to the department. Enhanced verification systems flagged more than 14,000 potentially fraudulent documents globally last year. In response to the rise in rejections, Canada has tightened scrutiny and raised financial requirements for international students, The Indian Express reported.
Enrollment drop
Indian Embassy reacts to high rejection rates
The Indian Embassy in Ottawa has taken note of the high rejection rates, emphasizing that many of the world's top-performing students are from India. "Canadian universities have long benefited from Indian students' talent and academic excellence," the embassy said. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told Reuters during her October visit to India that while Ottawa remains committed to welcoming Indian students, it must "protect the integrity of the immigration system."
University impact
Canadian universities facing sharp decline in Indian enrollments
Overall, Canadian universities are witnessing a sharp decline in Indian enrollments. The University of Waterloo, home to Canada's largest engineering school, has seen a two-thirds drop in Indian undergraduate and postgraduate students over the past four years. Similar trends have been observed at the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan.