Canada turns down most Indian study permit applicants due to fraud worries

Summary 74% of Indian applicants for Canadian study permits in August got rejected up from 32% in August 2023 Rejection rate for applications overall stood at 40% Canadian government points to fraud concerns TORONTO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Canada's crackdown on international students has hit Indian applicants hard, government data reveals, as what was once a top choice loses its appeal for Indian students. Canada cut the number of international student permits it gives out for the second year in a row in early 2025 as part of a larger plan to reduce the number of temporary migrants and tackle fraud linked to student visas.

Around 74% of Indian requests to study at Canadian colleges and universities in August - the latest month with available data - were turned down, compared to 32% in August 2023, based on immigration department figures given to Reuters.

In comparison about 40% of all study permit applications in each of those months were denied. About 24% of Chinese study permits in August 2025 were not approved.

The count of Indian applicants has fallen too, from 20,900 in August 2023 - when Indians made up just over a quarter of all applicants - to 4,515 in August 2025.

For the last ten years, India has been the main source of international students for Canada. In August, it also had the highest rate of study-permit denials among countries with more than 1,000 approved applicants.

The jump in rejections of potential students happens as Canada and India try to fix their relationship after more than a year of strain. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed the Indian government played a part in the 2023 killing of a Canadian in Surrey, British Columbia. India has often said these claims are false.

CRACKING DOWN ON FRAUD In 2023 Canadian officials discovered almost 1,550 study permit applications connected to fake acceptance letters, with most coming from India, according to an email from Canada's immigration department to Reuters. Their improved checking system found over 14,000 fake acceptance letters from all applicants last year. Canada has stepped up its checks for international students and raised the money requirements for applicants, said the immigration department spokesperson.