Canada To Cut International Student Permits By 10% For 2025; Indian Students Likely To Be Impacted

Canada will cut international student permits by 10% in 2025, reducing the number from 485,000 to 437,000, to tackle the growing number of temporary residents.

The Canadian federal government has announced plans to further reduce the intake of international students and tighten eligibility for work permits to manage the growing number of temporary residents. The government plans to reduce the number of study permits from 485,000 in 2024 to 437,000 in 2025, marking a 10 percent decrease. The intake cap will remain the same for 2026.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this decision, stating that the reduction aims to address issues of abuse within the immigration system, with a firm stance on cracking down on "bad actors" who misuse the system.

Sharing a post on X, Trudeau wrote, "We're granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number's going down by another 10%."

"Immigration is an advantage for our economy -- but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down," the post added.

On Wednesday, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced new measures aimed at managing the influx of temporary residents, maintaining the integrity of the immigration system, and protecting vulnerable individuals.

In a news release, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department of the Government of Canada said, "We are announcing a reduction in the intake cap on international student study permits for 2025 based on a 10 percent reduction from the 2024 target of 4,85,000 new study permits issued, and then stabilising the intake cap for 2026 such that the number of study permits issued remains the same as 2025. For 2025, this means reducing study permits issued to 4,37,000."

The 2025-2026 study permit intake cap will include master's and doctoral students who will now have to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter. "We will be reserving approximately 12% of allocation spaces for these students in recognition of the benefits they bring to the Canadian labour market," the release said.

How It Affects Indian Students?

These new regulations may prompt Indian students, who make up a significant portion of Canada’s international student population, to consider alternative study destinations such as the US, UK, or Australia. Recent data from the Indian government indicates that approximately 427,000 Indian students are currently studying in Canada, representing a 260% increase from 2013 to 2022. 

Reports suggest that Indian students account for about 40% of Canada’s international student population, highlighting the potential impact of these policy changes.

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