Indian students have already faced several difficulties because of U.S. President Donald Trump. Ever since he came to power for the second time, Trump has taken a series of tough decisions targeting not only Indian IT professionals but also students. Due to these setbacks, many students have abandoned their plans to pursue higher education in the United States and have started looking for alternatives elsewhere. After the U.S., Canada is the second most preferred destination for Indian students seeking higher education. However, similar to the U.S., Canada has now delivered a shock to Indian students. For the first time ever, a large number of student visa applications from India have been rejected. This has effectively created a “double trouble” situation for Indian students.
With opportunities drying up both in the U.S. and now in Canada, experts say this development is likely to have a major impact on Indian students. Reports reveal that for every four Indian visa applications submitted to Canada, three were rejected — showing how serious the situation has become. In 2023, the rejection rate by Canada’s immigration department was 32%, but in 2025 it has skyrocketed to 74%. A key point here is that the visa rejection rate for Chinese students stands at only 24%. Earlier, reports indicated that while the U.S. imposed stricter restrictions on Indian students, it showed a more lenient attitude toward Chinese applicants. Now, Canada appears to be following the same pattern.
Last year, Canada provided opportunities to about 1 million international students worldwide, out of which Indians accounted for a significant 41%, according to reports. However, Canadian immigration officials say a large number of fraudulent admission documents were discovered from applicants originating from India. Consequently, Canada has tightened its verification system even further. Many observers believe that because of fraudulent practices by a few, genuine students aspiring to study in Canada are now facing serious obstacles. Following these developments, the number of international student admissions in Canadian universities has dropped considerably.