🇨🇦 Canada’s Student Visa Rejections Surge in 2025: What You Need to Know

Canada’s reputation as a top destination for international students is facing a major shake-up. In 2025, the student visa rejection rate hit a staggering 62%—the highest in a decade. For thousands of students and universities, this shift is more than a statistic. It’s a wake-up call.

   

A Sharp Rise in Rejections

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the rejection rate jumped from 52% in 2024 to 62% this year. Just a few years ago, the average hovered around 40%. Now, the landscape is changing fast.

Indian students have been hit especially hard, with reports suggesting rejection rates as high as 80%. While Canada hasn’t released a full breakdown by country, applicants from Asia and Africa are also facing steep hurdles.

Why Canada Is Tightening the Rules

The spike in rejections isn’t random. It’s tied to domestic challenges—rising housing costs, inflation, and concerns about students’ ability to support themselves financially.

Here are the key changes driving the shift:

• Higher financial requirements: Students now need to show proof of CA$20,635 (about US$14,963) in available funds.
• Stricter documentation: Applications must be complete, error-free, and include detailed study plans.
• Closer scrutiny: Immigration officers are reviewing applications more rigorously than ever.

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Fewer Study Permits, Tougher Work Rules

Canada plans to issue 437,000 study permits in 2025—down 10% from last year. The breakdown includes:

• 73,000 for postgraduate students
• 243,000 for undergraduates and other programs
• 120,000 for school-age children and renewals

Work permit rules have also changed:

• University grads must show B2-level English or French proficiency
• College grads need at least B1-level scores
• Students in unapproved programs no longer qualify for post-study work permits
• The Student Direct Stream, which offered faster processing for students from 14 countries, has been discontinued

The Numbers Behind the Shift

In 2024, Canada issued just 267,890 new study permits—nearly 100,000 fewer than its target and almost half of what was granted in 2023.

As of mid-2025:

• 546,562 people hold study permits
• 312,010 hold both study and work permits

The trend is clear: Canada is scaling back.

What This Means for Students and Schools

For students, the new reality is tough. Families spend months preparing documents and securing finances, only to face rejection. Many are now turning to other countries like Australia, the UK, or Germany.

For Canadian institutions, the impact is serious. International tuition fees have long been a major revenue source. With fewer approvals, universities and colleges face uncertainty around enrolment—and may need to rethink programs, staffing, and budgets.

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