An increasing number of international students have been sharing on social media the challenges they’ve encountered in Canada, specifically highlighting the high cost of living and unfulfilled opportunities.
Read on to find out all the details!
Study Permit Applications To Canada From Indian Students Decreased
In Toronto, the number of study permit applications from Indian students has significantly decreased in the latter part of this year. From July to October, the applications dropped from 145,881 last year to 86,562 in 2023, marking a nearly 40% decline.
This decrease in applications is not tied to the recent strained relations between India and Canada, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mention of potential links between Indian agents and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar occurred after the downward trend had already begun.
The decline in application numbers was initially reported by Better Dwelling, which suggested that the discourse on Canada’s exploitation of international students became a more significant issue before the diplomatic rift. Social media posts from international students about the challenges they face, particularly regarding the high cost of living and unfulfilled promises, may have contributed to this trend.
Annual Intake Figures Reflect Decline
Data on study permits from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), revealed that policymakers may have aimed to address the affordability issue by proposing limits on student intake, even before the public had access to the data confirming a decline in interest.
The annual intake figures also reflect this decline. In 2022, IRCC received 363,541 applications from Indian students, up from 236,077 in 2021. However, in 2023, until October, the total is at 261,310. As Indians make up nearly half of international students in Canada, this slowdown in applications has implications for the overall numbers, which are on track for the slowest growth in years. Total applications last year were 736,166, and until October this year, they stand at 724,611. Better Dwelling noted that this decline, projected to be in single-digit growth by year-end, is primarily due to the country’s largest source of students — India.
This marks the first decline in international student applications from India since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the escalating tension between India and Canada is unlikely to improve the situation.
