Significant Decrease in Canadian Study Permits Issued to Indian Students

The issuance of study permits by Canada to Indian students sharply decreased at the end of last year. The main reasons for this are the expulsion of Canadian diplomats who processed the permits and diminished interest from Indian students resulting from a diplomatic disagreement over the assassination of a Khalistani extremist in Canada. This was confirmed by Immigration Minister Marc Miller in a conversation from Reader Wall’s source.

Strained Diplomatic Relations

Further tensions grew after Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in June that there were indications linking Indian agents to the murder of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Minister Miller expressed his belief that these ongoing complications are likely to impact the number of study permits granted to Indians in the future. He stated, “Our relationship with India has greatly affected our capacity to process many applications from India.”

Diplomatic Evacuation and Student Repercussions

In the wake of these diplomatic tensions, in October, Canada had to recall 41 diplomats, leading to a significant reduction in operational staff in India. This event, coupled with the diplomatic fallout, has led more Indian students to explore studying in other countries. According to previously unreported official data, this resulted in a dramatic 86% fall in study permits issued to Indians in the last quarter of the previous year, with only 14,910 permits issued compared to 108,940 in the previous quarter.

Indian International Student Perspectives

C. Gurus Ubramanian, counselor for the High Commission of India in Ottawa, highlighted that Indian international students were considering countries other than Canada owing to “recent concerns about deficient housing and teaching facilities” at some Canadian institutions.

The Impact of Diplomatic Relations on Student Visa Figures

It’s important to consider that Indians have comprised the largest group of international students in Canada in recent years, with over 41% – or 225,835 – of all permits issued to them in 2022. However, Minister Miller expressed uncertainty about how the diplomatic relations would progress and the potential implications if charges are laid out in connection with the murder case.

Financial Impact on Canadian Institutions

The decline in international student enrollment, particularly from India, could significantly affect Canadian universities’ finances as these students contribute about $16.4 billion annually.

Canada’s Stance on International Student Intake

The Canadian government’s intention to decrease the overall number of international students, partially as a response to an ongoing housing crisis, is also likely to contribute to this downtrend.

Revising Policies for International Students

Miller further expressed that the Canadian government intends to implement measures to reduce the total number of international students this year, including a possible cap, and to rectify loopholes in post-graduation work permit programs, while targeting illegitimate universities referred to as designated learning institutes.

Projecting Future Numbers

According to government projections, approximately 900,000 international students are expected to study in Canada, and about 40% of those students – around 360,000 – will be Indian. Despite a 4% decrease last year in the number of permits issued to Indian students, they still constitute the largest group.