Canada's New Visa Rules Explained: How 4.2 Lakh Indian Students May Be Impacted

Canada has introduced new visa rules effective from February 2025, offering border officials greater authority over visa-related decisions. Canadian officials can now change or cancel the visa status of international students, workers and migrants as they deem necessary. 

Under the updated Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, if a student's permit is cancelled, they could be asked to leave the country by a specific date. The changes are expected to significantly impact Indian and other foreign students in Canada. 

The visa rule updates come amid an ongoing diplomatic row between Canada and India. The tension between the two countries escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani separatist, in June 2023. India rejected the allegations, calling them baseless and both countries expelled diplomats in retaliation. 

At present, about 420,000 Indian students are pursuing higher education in Canada, according to official data. Under the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, Canadian officials can deny or cancel temporary resident documents, including work permits and student visas.  However, there are specific conditions that must be met for such actions.

According to the new rules, if a Canadian officer believes that a person may not leave Canada after their authorized stay ends, they may refuse entry or cancel their permit.

This could happen even while the person is staying in Canada. Other situations that could lead to visa rejection or permit cancellation include lost documents, or providing false information.

These rules give officers broad discretion, creating uncertainty that could be particularly risky for students. If a student's visa is rejected, they will be denied entry at the port of entry and sent back to their home country. Since India has one of the largest groups of international students in Canada, this change could have a significant negative impact on them.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will inform the impacted students via email and their IRCC accounts. As of now, it's unclear what will happen to the money paid by impacted students, such as tuition fees and other expenses.