Srinagar, May 23 -- Canada has drastically reduced the number of study permits granted to Indian students in early 2025, following the introduction of tighter visa rules in January. According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), only 30,640 study permits were issued to Indian students between January and March - a sharp 31% decline compared to the same period in 2024.

This drop is part of a broader move by Canada to limit the number of international students entering the country. In 2023, Canada issued 681,155 study permits, with Indian nationals receiving 278,045 of them. That number fell to 188,465 in 2024, and the downward trend has continued into 2025.

The policy shift is driven by a housing shortage and...