The number of study permits granted to Indian students aspiring to join Canadian higher education institutions saw a sharp decline of nearly 33% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Indian students received 189,070 study permits in 2024, a significant drop from 278,110 in 2023—marking a decline of over 33%.
In 2024, Indian students accounted for 36% of the total 518,125 permits issued, down from 41% in 2023, when the overall figure stood at 681,390. Despite the recent decline, study permit numbers have increased significantly since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government took office in 2015, when only 219,030 permits were issued, with Indian students securing 31,920, or 14.5% of the total.
The reduction in study permits resulted from government measures aimed at curbing immigration, which had become a politically sensitive issue for the ruling Liberal Party. The influx of newcomers was partly blamed for worsening Canada’s housing affordability crisis and straining health and transportation infrastructure.
These policies have faced criticism for negatively impacting the higher education sector. Pari Johnston, president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada, highlighted that Ottawa’s rapid and overlapping reforms had weakened public postsecondary institutions at a time when they were crucial to economic stability. Writing in Policy Options, a publication by the Institute for Research, she noted that in 2024 alone, IRCC introduced 13 major changes to the international student program—more than in the previous decade. She pointed out that by fall 2024, international student applications to colleges had dropped by 54%, far exceeding the government’s 35% target, with projections suggesting a worsening trend in 2025.
The reduced intake of international students has forced several institutions to cut programs and staff. In January, St. Lawrence College announced it would discontinue 55 programs in the upcoming semester, while Centennial College suspended enrollment for 49 courses. By the end of 2024, Sheridan College had paused 40 programs, and Seneca Polytechnic considered temporarily closing its Markham campus in the Greater Toronto Area.
On September 18, 2024, IRCC announced that the study permit cap for 2025 would be set at 437,000, down from the 2024 target of 485,000. This stabilization measure is also expected to apply to the 2026 intake.
