- India’s applications to study in Canada have decreased by 40% in the second half of 2023.
- This decline is unrelated to the tense relations between India and Canada, since on September 18.
- As of October 2023, the total is 261,310 applications.
India’s applications to study in Canada have decreased significantly in the second half of 2023, from 145,881 applications in the previous year to just 86,562 applications during the same period. This represents a nearly 40% decline.
This decline is unrelated to the tense relations between India and Canada, since on September 18, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau only made a statement regarding “credible allegations” of a possible connection between Indian agents and the murder of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Indian Students
Better Dwelling was the first to report on the declining application numbers, implying that this rift preceded the conversation about Canada’s abuse of foreign students.
The numbers for study permits from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) were confirmed by The Hindustan Times. The annual intake statistics also show a decline: in 2021, the IRCC received 236,077 applications from Indian students; in 2021, that number was 363,541.
As of October 2023, the total is 261,310. Indians make up almost half of all international students studying in Canada, so the overall decline in applications is also evident there; with 736,166 applications submitted last year, the growth rate was the slowest in recent memory.
Increasing tension in the relationship between India and Canada is unlikely to help the situation, as this is the first decline in Indian applications for international studentships since the COVID-19 pandemic.
