Canada’s long-celebrated “Maple Dream” for international students is losing its shine, with new arrivals plunging nearly 60% in 2025. Stricter study-permit limits, tighter work rules, and post-study pathway changes have hit Indian students hardest, affecting campuses, classrooms, and local communities. The decline signals a major shift in Canada’s once-booming international education sector, leaving students and institutions adjusting to new realities.
The numbers reveal a turning point. Between January and August 2025, Canada welcomed just 89,430 new international students, compared with 221,940 during the same period in 2024 seeing a staggering 59.7% drop. August alone recorded 45,380 new study-permit holders, down from 79,795 in August 2024. Officials say the decline is part of a deliberate recalibration of Canada’s international-education policies, aimed at managing growth, ensuring sustainability, and tightening oversight.
Total study-only permit holders in Canada fell to 514,540 from 651,230 last year, while work-plus-study permits dropped to 287,885 from 368,815. Overall, the country’s student population declined by more than 21% to 802,425. These figures highlight a significant shift, signaling that Canada’s “Maple Dream” era may be entering a more cautious, tightly managed phase, forcing students, institutions, and policymakers to adjust to new realities.
The slowdown has hit universities and colleges hard, which previously relied on rising international enrollments to boost revenue and enrich classroom diversity. Local communities and businesses, hostels, eateries, and tutoring centers that thrived on student demand, are also feeling the impact. Indian students, who form the largest overseas cohort in Canada, are reconsidering study plans and exploring alternative destinations in Australia, Europe, and the US.
While Canada remains attractive for its quality education and work opportunities, recent policy changes have created a more restrictive environment. Indian students, in particular, are reconsidering study plans, exploring alternatives in Australia, Europe, and the US Educators warn that this trend could dampen Canada’s soft power and slow its once-booming international education sector.
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