Are you an Indian student who plans to study in Canada? If yes, you must be aware of all the recent changes in the Canadian study visa norms and regulations. In fact, a series of recurring changes has actually gotten students confused.
This is where an expert perspective becomes highly vital for you to succeed in your ambitions to study in Canada. The key is to take the right step at the right time with the right information. In this blog, we closely analyze all the latest updates and norms pertaining to the Canadian study visa.
Having said that, you cannot miss out on any section of this blog. Put all your attention in here! Let’s get started.
Canada Student Visa: An Overview of Previous Changes
Canada Student Visa: Further Changes for 2025
Let’s start off with another visa update for Indian students coming up soon. From September 1st 2025, single students will face increased financial requirements and will now need to demonstrate ready access to CAD 22,895 or a little over INR 14 Lakhs for living costs alone.
It’s important to note that this will apply to you only if you have filed your application after 1st September 2025 and earlier submission will continue to follow the older CAD 20,635 requirement.
To accompany this, universities, colleges and visa authorities will adhere to much stricter compliance and verification processes. Canadian institutes will introduce and implement verifications on even master’s and PhD programs which were earlier exempted and work their way towards eradicating fraudulent applications.
Furthermore, from May 28th 2025 onwards, study and work permit renewals will no longer hold the erstwhile maintained status after a refusal while studying in Canada. This means that a rejected application now ends the application status immediately.
Previously, students could keep studying or working in Canada as long as they had applied to extend their permit before the expiry date while they waited for a decision from IRCC. Now, in this significant visa update for Indian and international students, if your extension is refused, you lose legal status in Canada immediately.
Student Visa Checklist for 2025
While these changes to studying in Canada may seem daunting at first, students must remember that if they genuinely intend to study in Canada they needn’t fear them. In fact, in my opinion, these changes are a blessing in disguise and they further segregate authentic students from fraudulent ones making the process streamlined and increasing efficiency.
If you have the correct documents and finances in place and follow the study visa rules, your application will be easy to assess for visa officers thus saving time and resources.
In this section, let’s take a look at the documents Indian students require under the new student visa rules for a successful Canadian student visa application besides the usual ones such as passports, IMM 1294 application form and photographs.
A Letter of Acceptance from a Designated Learning Institute and a Provincial Attestation Letter. These are two separate documents as per study in Canada requirements, that will be provided by your chosen institute. You should note that PALs issued between January 22, 2025, and December 31, 2025, remain valid until December 31, 2025.
Proof of Funds to aptly demonstrate access to CAD 22,895 for living expenses, a first year tuition fee receipt provided by your DLI, a Guaranteed Investment Certificate and a Canadian Bank Deposit account, bank statements from the past 4 months or proof of an education loan.
The IRCC will also require you to undergo a Medical Examination and provide relevant results
A Police Clearing Certificate; if requested in certain cases
A clear and authentic Statement of Purpose outlining your endeavour to study overseas
A confirmation of your biometrics
Proof of English proficiency such as IELTS or PTE. While this is not mandatory for the new study in Canada student visa rules, it certainly goes a long way in strengthening your application
All of the above are part of the essential checklist for Indian students going abroad.
This list may seem complicated and even a barrier to your dream of studying in Canada, but with the right guidance and intent, you will have no trouble in collecting and arranging them.
Students must be aware of the fact that after the student visa rules and visa updates for Indian students the Canada student visa processing time for Indian applications is approximately 8 weeks but this can vary based on each application.
During this process, you should maintain consistent and traceable funds and avoid red flags such as large deposits which may lead to a disappointing visa rejection.
My foremost suggestion to any student seeking to study in Canada or any other destination is to familiarize themselves with the student visa rules and visa updates for Indian students extensively.
Starting early significantly increases the change of visa success as you’ll be ahead of established caps and in the long queue of applications. Be sure to always show strong finances to the best of your ability.
This means that bank statements, loan documents, GICs and other such paperwork should be checked and cross-checked thoroughly, preferably with the help of experts. Attestation letters are now required at all levels to study in Canada including higher levels, and this is where research is so important as you must know where to get these letters from, how to plan your renewals or which category of student you fall under.
Finally, to summarize, 2025 has definitely tightened entry conditions for international students to study in Canada with multiple visa updates for Indian students and forced students to prepare meticulously. Still got doubts? Speak to our experts now!
Yet you will discover that with patience and time, the journey to a visa approval is not something to be afraid of but rather a necessary check to ensure that you achieve your goals of a quality lifestyle and the laurels of an international degree when you eventually do travel overseas.
Author Bio : Mr. Almasto Kapoor
I believe that wisdom and information amplify when shared with others. With more than 14 years of vast experience in tertiary education and having assisted a plethora of students in accomplishing their higher education dreams, I’d like to believe that my knowledge is substantial. To make this knowledge count, I love sharing it with students to apprise them of the intricacies of overseas education and to go with that, my keen interest in writing makes it an even more fulfilling thing to do!
almastokapoor3@gmail.com
