Visa Rejection Rates Reach Record Levels
Of late, there has been a steep rise in the rejection of student visas to Canada. According to data from the Canadian Immigration Department, 74% of Indian students' visa applications were rejected in August 2025, while in 2023 that number was 32%: that is, three out of every four Indian students who apply for higher education in Canada.
It is part of the wider tightening of the government's international student visa program amidst various internal challenges. By comparison, the refusal rate for Chinese students is 24 percent, while for other countries, the average is about 40 percent annually.
Decline in Indian Applications
While applications from India have been gradually falling, Canada remained one of the most preferred education destinations after the United States, hosting close to a million international students in 2024. Of those, 41% were from India. It is followed by China and Vietnam in the leading source countries list.
While in 2022, the top destinations were the US and Canada with shares of 19% and 18%, respectively, upGrad added that by 2025, the share of applications to Canada declined to 9% from 18% while that of applications to the US rose.
Reasons for Visa Rejections
Explanations from immigration experts are that such high rejection rates emanate from the local economic conditions. Canada is facing a shortage of housing, pressure on infrastructure and concern about students' ability to afford the living costs. Managing such challenges has been done through the adoption of stricter measures regarding the approval of study permits by the government.
This has implications for Canadian universities and colleges that have become reliant on tuition from international students. Some of the smaller institutions have merged with bigger universities while others may have to close down due to the low intake of students. Germany: An Emerging Alternative Destination With both Canada and the US becoming less accessible, Germany has emerged as a valid alternative for Indian students in recent times. The German economy is strong, and so is the state-funded education system. Thus, Germany is an attractive destination, and the country has begun to actively promote international education while simplifying processes of admission even to students whose English may not be fluent. Admissions of Indian students in German institutions rose from 49,500 in 2023 to nearly 60,000 in 2025. Lower tuition and living costs also make Germany more desirable to Indian students.
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