Canada rejected around 74% of study permit applications from India in August, Reuters reported on Monday, citing data from the country’s immigration department.

In August 2023, Canada’s rejection rate for Indian student visa applications was 32%.

The country’s overall refusal rate for student visa applications this year stood at about 40%, while applications from Chinese students faced a much lower rejection rate of 24%, Reuters reported.

The surge in refusals comes as the Canadian authorities tighten checks on fraudulent applications. In 2023, officials uncovered over 1,550 fake study permit applications, mostly involving forged acceptance letters issued by Indian education agents, Reuters reported.

Notably, this increase in rejections comes even as the number of applicants from India has declined. In August 2023, about 20,900 Indian students applied for study permits, compared with only 4,515 during the same period this year.

The spike in refusals of study permits also comes as Canada and India seek to mend ties after about two years of tension. Justin Trudeau, the prime minister at the time, had accused the Indian government of involvement in the 2023 murder of a Canadian citizen and Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. India has denied the allegations.

Ottawa seeking mass visa cancellation powers

The Canadian government is also seeking the powers to cancel groups of visas from countries considered high-risk for fraud, including India, CBC News reported on Monday.

Internal documents obtained by the Canadian state broadcaster show that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency are working with unidentified United States partners to detect and cancel fraudulent visa applications, the Canadian news network reported.

The proposed powers are part of Bill C-2, an immigration reform bill that includes provisions for mass visa cancellations.

While Immigration Minister Lena Diab has said the powers would be used in cases such as pandemics or wars, internal documents accessed by CBC News identified India and Bangladesh as facing “country-specific challenges”.

Canada has also seen a surge in asylum claims from Indian nationals, which have risen from 500 per month in May 2023 to almost 2,000 per month by July 2024, the Canadian news network quoted the document as saying.

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