The Canadian immigration system witnessed a sharp decline in study permits issued to Indian students following a diplomatic altercation involving the nations of Canada and India. The underlying cause of the precipitous descent in permits can be traced back to India expelling Canadian diplomats, a critical link in the permit processing chain, leading to fewer Indian students applying due to the ongoing dispute. This dispute gained momentum in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggesting evidence of Indian government agent involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
Amidst the burgeoning diplomatic tensions, Immigration Minister Marc Miller articulated his concerns, noting that the situation has severely limited Canada’s ability to process applications from Indian students and expressed skepticism regarding an imminent resolution or normalization of the numbers. This complexity was compounded when India commanded the withdrawal of a significant portion of the Canadian diplomatic staff from its soil. Consequentially, the issue has encouraged Indian students to seek educational opportunities in alternative countries. Notably, there was an 86% plummet in the issuance of study permits to Indians in the final quarter of the previous year in comparison to the former quarter.
The Canadian approach to international students, particularly those from India who constitute the largest group, is also undergoing a recalibration as the government confronts the challenges posed by high volumes of international student admissions which, while financially lucrative, have escalated beyond manageable thresholds and have intensified the housing shortage crisis. In response, the Canadian government anticipates the imposition of various regulatory measures, potentially including a cap on incoming international students and curtailing work hour permissions for those studying off-campus—with possible repercussions for labor supply in specific sectors.