Nearly 80 per cent of Indian applications were rejected in 2025, while Germany has emerged as the preferred destination for many Indian students
Canada’s tightening of its international student visa regime has significantly altered study-abroad choices among Indians, with Germany emerging as a leading alternative.
Nearly 80 per cent of Indian student visa applications were reportedly rejected by Canada in 2025, marking one of the highest refusal rates in recent years. The shift comes as Ottawa has tightened controls on temporary migration amid concerns over housing, infrastructure and pressure on public services.
The impact has been reflected in student preferences. Canada’s share among Indian students considering overseas education fell from 18 per cent in 2022 to 9 per cent in 2024, while Germany rose to the top with 31 per cent, according to the figures cited in the report.
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Canada has introduced tougher financial and documentation requirements, tightened eligibility and work rules, and ended the Student Direct Stream
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The country also reduced its planned intake of new international students
More recent Canadian government figures show that the restrictions continued through 2025. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the refusal rate for new study permit applications reached 59 per cent for the full year, compared with 52 per cent in 2024. The number of study permit holders in Canada also fell by 26 per cent during 2025.
Germany, meanwhile, has benefited from the changing preferences. Its public universities, relatively lower education costs and growing number of English-language courses have made it increasingly attractive to Indian students, particularly those pursuing technology, engineering and management programmes. Indian enrolments in Germany have risen sharply, reaching nearly 60,000 in 2025, according to figures cited by the report.
Other destinations, including France, Finland, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia, are also gaining attention as Indian students increasingly weigh affordability, employability and long-term career prospects alongside academic reputation.
