Studying in Canada is tougher now | See new study permit checks, rules changed

For study permit renewals, officers have also been instructed to assess whether applicants have sufficient funds for the first year following the extension.

Canada has tightened the way officials assess study permit applications, introducing stricter checks on applicants' financial documents while leaving the minimum proof of funds requirement unchanged.

Why are Indian students leaving Canada?

Under the updated instructions, titled "Study permits: Assessing the application," immigration officers have been directed to more closely examine both the amount and source of an applicant's funds.

The guidance states that, "in all cases, the source of funds" "must be assessed."

The revised instructions also make it clear that "reviewing and verifying" "supplementary individual or family financial and employment documentation may be necessary to ensure that only genuine students capable of supporting themselves for the full duration of their program of studies are granted study permits."

Earlier, officers were advised to seek additional financial documentation only "in some very high-risk environments." That qualifying phrase has now been removed, signalling that enhanced scrutiny could apply more broadly.

The latest guidance also changes how officers decide whether to request extra documents. Previously, this discretion was to be exercised "based on the known incidence of indigent and non-bona fide applicants."

The updated version instead says such requests should be made based on "the facts of the application."

Longer bank statement history, new proof of funds examples

The revised instructions also expand the financial documentation applicants may need to provide.

For proof of funds, officers are now advised to review six months of bank statements, including "the month or month prior" to the date the application was submitted. Earlier guidance had required only the previous four months of bank statements.

For study permit renewals, officers have also been instructed to assess whether applicants have sufficient funds for the first year following the extension.

The updated guidance additionally includes two new examples of acceptable proof of funds-pension income and income from rental properties. Meanwhile, "a bank draft that can be converted to Canadian dollars," which appeared in the previous version, has been removed from the list of examples.

Financial requirement remains unchanged

While the documentation requirements have become more stringent, the amount applicants must show as proof of funds has not changed.

Applicants must still demonstrate they have enough money to cover one year of living expenses, in addition to tuition fees and travel costs to and from Canada.

The required amount varies depending on factors such as family size, whether the student plans to study inside or outside Quebec, and whether the application is made under the standard study permit stream or special initiatives such as the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) or an applicable temporary public policy.

How Indian students' intake in Canada has declined

Canada is among one of the most sought-after countries to study for Indians. According to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), 17,540 Indians were issued study permits in the first quarter of 2026, accounting for 24.5% of the total 71,560 permits granted.

That marked the lowest quarterly figure since the October-December quarter of 2020, when 16,760 study permits were issued to Indians amid pandemic-related travel disruptions.

The latest quarterly total was also more than 40% lower than the corresponding period in 2025, when 29,950 Indians received study permits out of a total 93,930, representing about 32% of all permits issued.

The annual intake of Indian students has also dropped sharply, nearly halving from 1,88,140 study permits in 2024 to 94,025 in 2025.

IRCC's annual data further shows that the overall number of study permits issued declined by 25%, from 5,14,915 in 2024 to 3,83,905 in 2025, after already falling from the record high of 6,80,795 in 2023.

Why the rules are changing

The tougher assessment process comes amid broader efforts by Canada to tighten oversight of its immigration system, particularly the international student programme and asylum process.

A report by Canada's Auditor General, published on March 23, 2026, found that between 2023 and 2024, the immigration department had flagged more than 153,000 students for non-compliance but had resources to investigate only 2,000 cases annually.

Just days later, on March 26, 2026, the federal government enacted sweeping immigration reforms, giving the Governor in Council the authority to mass terminate applications and cancel immigration documents.

The legislation also introduced two new asylum restrictions—one barring claims filed more than a year after a person's first entry into Canada, and another restricting claims from irregular border crossers arriving via the Canada-US border.

In June 2026, the immigration department also issued updated guidance for assessing language test results, introducing additional verification measures, including cross-checking applicants' photographs.