Bhawna Thakur
North News
Chandigarh, September 11
Indian students planning to study in Canada may face significant challenges, as the Canadian government is set to reduce study visa approvals by 50 percent. This drop is part of efforts to limit the number of international students. Visa approvals are expected to fall back to levels last seen in 2018 and 2019, according to online platform ApplyBoard’s report.
The report predicts that just over 231,000 study permits will be granted by the end of 2024, a significant decline from the 436,000 permits approved in 2023. In the first half of 2024, study permit approvals from India dropped by 50%, a trend expected to continue. This decrease follows Canada’s announcement of higher financial requirements for international students, which has discouraged many from applying.
In 2022, 226,000 out of 550,000 international students in Canada were from India, with many contributing to the economy as gig workers.
Martin Basiri, CEO and co-founder of ApplyBoard, expressed concerns that the Canadian government’s announcement earlier this year of higher financial requirements for studying in Canada is discouraging international students. Additionally, hints of further immigration restrictions have further dampened interest, the news outlet The Global and Mail reported. Basiri noted that Canada is no longer seen as welcoming to international students as it once was. Immigration Minister Marc Miller echoed this shift, stating there would be “no further growth” in the number of international students over the next two years. This is expected to result in a 35% drop in student numbers in 2024 compared to the previous year, the news outlet said.
