In Canada, Indian students experienced a steep 32% decline in study permit approvals. The number dropped from 2.78 lakh in 2023 to 1.89 lakh in 2024. The decline is tied to Canada’s decision to cap international study permits in response to increasing housing shortages and strains on public infrastructure. Additional changes include higher financial requirements for students, the discontinuation of the fast-track Student Direct Stream program, and a plan to reduce the total number of temporary residents to just 5% of the national population by 2026.
In the United States, F-1 visa approvals for Indian students fell by 34%, decreasing from 1.31 lakh to 86,110 in a single fiscal year. This drop is the most significant in over a decade and follows a period of rapid growth during which Indian students had nearly doubled their presence in U.S. institutions. The decrease reflects heightened scrutiny in visa approvals, changes in global mobility patterns, and shifting policies on non-immigrant student visas.
The United Kingdom has also seen a major fall in the number of student visas issued to Indian nationals. The country recorded a 26% drop in 2024, with visa numbers falling from 1.2 lakh to 88,732. These figures follow earlier declines seen in 2023, when student visa approvals had already dropped by 13%. The UK has introduced new immigration measures restricting international students—particularly at the postgraduate level—from bringing dependents. This policy shift has altered the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for many Indian students who previously relied on the dependent visa option.
These developments mark a stark contrast to the trends seen over the past decade. From 2015 to 2023, Indian student numbers in these three countries surged dramatically. Canada saw an eightfold increase in student permits, growing from just over 31,000 to nearly 2.8 lakh. The UK experienced a more than tenfold jump, while the United States doubled its F-1 visa issuance to Indian applicants. By 2023, Indian students had surpassed their Chinese counterparts in visa numbers across all three destinations.
Despite the downturn, Indian students still outnumber Chinese students in Canada and the United States as of 2024. In the UK, Indians had taken the lead in 2022 and 2023 but were overtaken again in the latest cycle. Study preferences vary by destination. In Canada, Indian students typically opt for shorter, career-focused programs offered by colleges, rather than full university degrees. Undergraduate programs slightly edged out postgraduate ones in 2023, with around 16,000 students choosing bachelor’s degrees and 15,640 enrolling in master’s programs.
In the United States, the trend remains firmly in favor of postgraduate education. Academic interests have also shifted over time; engineering was long the top field of study for Indian students, but since 2018, computer science and mathematics have taken precedence. Currently, about 37.5% of Indian students in the U.S. are in these fields, compared to 35.4% in engineering.
The UK has a similar focus, with the majority of Indian students pursuing master’s-level programs. As of 2024, 80% of Indian students in the UK were enrolled in postgraduate education. Undergraduate enrollment, which accounted for nearly half of all Indian students in the UK in 2014, has since dropped to just 20%.
This trend reversal has major implications for universities in host countries, many of which depend on international students for tuition revenue, research output, and cultural diversity. With visa policies tightening, Indian students may start exploring other destinations such as Australia, Ireland, Germany, or Singapore.
As the global education landscape shifts, students and institutions alike will need to navigate a more complex and uncertain environment. Governments and policymakers in both source and destination countries will be closely watching these changes, as education continues to play a central role in shaping international relationships and workforce development.
