Canada sets 1.5 lakh student intake target, Indian applicants remain under national cap

Résumé détaillé

Canada has set an annual target of 1.5 lakh new international student arrivals for 2027–2029. The nationwide restriction signals tighter temporary immigration controls while Indian applicants remain eligible.

Following similar measures introduced by the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, Canada has announced a further restriction on the admission of international students, setting an annual target of 1.5 lakh new student arrivals for the next three years. The decision forms part of the country's new Immigration Levels Plan for 2027–2029, released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The revised target reflects Canada's continued efforts to regulate the number of temporary residents entering the country amid growing pressure on housing, public services and infrastructure.

The measures are not confined to international students, but also extend to temporary foreign workers and other categories of temporary residents.

Under the new immigration plan, Canada has proposed a total of 3.7 lakh new temporary resident arrivals annually over the three-year period. International students are expected to account for approximately 40 per cent of this proposed intake, while temporary foreign workers will make up the remaining 60 per cent.

The annual target of 1.5 lakh new international students represents a further reduction from the 1.55 lakh target set for 2026. The revised figure indicates that the Canadian government intends to maintain tighter control over the number of students entering the country rather than return to the higher admission levels witnessed in previous years.

India remained Canada's leading source country for international students in 2025, accounting for 24.6 per cent of study permits that became effective during the year.

The figures supplied in the reported data indicate a substantial decline in the number of Indian students entering Canada.

The number of Indian study permit holders whose permits became effective fell from 2,78,045 in 2023 to 1,88,465 in 2024, before declining further to 94,025 in 2025.

This downward movement has taken place following Canada's introduction of a…

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