Canada’s ‘Maple Dream’ loses shine: Student arrivals down by 60%; India feels the squeeze
Canada’s international education sector faces an unprecedented slowdown, with new student arrivals dropping nearly 60% in 2025 compared to last year. Tighter permit caps, stricter financial and work regulations, and revised post-study pathways have deliberately shrunk the pipeline. The decline hits classrooms, campuses, and local economies, with Indian students—Canada’s largest overseas cohort—bearing the brunt of these structural changes.
Canada’s international education sector faces an unprecedented slowdown, with new student arrivals dropping nearly 60% in 2025 compared to last year. Tighter permit caps, stricter financial and work regulations, and revised post-study pathways have deliberately shrunk the pipeline. The decline hits classrooms, campuses, and local economies, with Indian students—Canada’s largest overseas cohort—bearing the brunt of these structural changes.
