Number of study permits processed for Indian students has fallen, applicants from elsewhere are making up the difference

Recently released data indicates a notable decline in the processing of Canadian study permit applications for Indian students, exceeding 40% since July of the current year.

From July to October 2022, the Canadian government successfully processed nearly 146,000 new study permit applications for Indian students. However, in the corresponding period of 2023, the processing figures dropped significantly, with fewer than 87,000 applications being handled.

This translates to a substantial reduction of 60,000 in the number of student visas processed for Indian students between July and October 2023 compared to the same timeframe in 2022.

The latest data from ApplyBoard, a leading online platform for international student recruitment, reveals a substantial dip of over 40% in the processing of Canadian study permit applications for Indian students since July. This downturn is attributed to a rising trend where international students, particularly from India, share their challenges on social media, focusing on the high cost of living in Canada.

In investigating this trend, ApplyBoard conducted a sentiment analysis of top-tier Indian media. Results indicate a fivefold surge in articles concerning housing in Canada between April and August of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, with the proportion of negative content rising from 12% to 30%.

Addressing the heightened cost of living, the Government of Canada has introduced various policies under the Affordability Plan, reflecting a substantial $12.1 billion CAD investment to enhance nationwide affordability. Measures include a 50% reduction in childcare fees in Ontario, a 10% increase in the Old Age Security (OAS) pension for seniors, and adjustments to benefits to align with inflation.

In response to the evolving economic landscape, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will raise the cost-of-living requirement for study permit applicants from January 1st. This adjustment, the first since the early 2000s, aims to shield students from vulnerability and exploitation by preparing them for the heightened cost of living in Canada.

Despite the decline in processed applications, study permit approval rates for Indian students continue to climb. From January to September, 32,000 more Indian students were approved to study in Canada compared to the previous year. Canada, having welcomed a record 551,405 international students in 2022, with India contributing the highest number of students (226,450), is poised to surpass these figures in 2023. ApplyBoard projects that, with current approval rates, 200,000 to 210,000 Indian students could be approved to study in Canada in 2023.

Interestingly, while Indian student applications have decreased, students from other countries show heightened interest in studying in Canada. From July to October 2023, study permits processed for all other countries increased by 34%, and as of December 2023, they are up by 52% from the previous year’s total. This surge contributes to a more diverse pool of applicants to Canadian educational institutions, with Indian students accounting for 36% of processed student visas in 2023, compared to nearly half the total in the previous year.