Why read this: Many of your students know friends or family who have thought about studying abroad. This short text tells the story of one big change: Canada used to be the top choice for Indian students, but now far fewer go. The article gives three plain reasons (visa rules, costs, and a fight between two governments) and one short human story. It is a simple way to talk about real news with your class, and to show that big numbers and easy words can work together.
What to notice: Watch the numbers. The article uses clear pairs: more than half in 2023, then 8 in 100 in 2025; C$10,000 then C$20,000. These pairs tell the story all by themselves. Notice also the three signal words "First", "Second", "Third". They make the three reasons easy to find. The closing line, "Canada is no longer a sure plan", tells the main idea in plain words.
Skills practised: Students practise reading short, simple sentences with everyday words. They also practise finding key facts (who, what, when, how much) and listing reasons in order. The text uses one common idiom, "make ends meet", and one short phrase, "in limbo". These are good chances to teach how a fixed phrase can mean something different from its single words. Students also practise reading number pairs (from X to Y) and saying what the change means.
Canada was the dream. For many Indian students, it isn’t anymore.
Indian students used to love Canada. Today, far fewer want to go. Here are three reasons why.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
In Delhi, India, students sit with their parents at a study advice office. They look at brochuresbrochure: A booklet of printed informational matter, like a pamphlet, often for promotional purposes — 宣传册 from many countries. They check schools in Italy, Germany, and Australia. But not many ask about Canada anymoreanymore: (in negative or interrogative constructions) From a given time onwards; longer, again — 不再. Shobhit Anand runs the office. He says, “Until 2023, most of our students wanted to go to Canada. Now we see almostalmost: Very nearly but not completely. — 几乎；差不多 80% fewer.”
The numbers tell the same story. In 2023, more than half of all new foreignforeign: From or in a country that is not your own. — 外国的 students in Canada came from India. By September 2025, only about 8 in 100 did. So why did so many Indianindian: Of or relating to India, its people, languages or culture. — 印度的 students stop choosing Canada? There are three main reasons.
First, the visavisa: An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay in a country. — 签证 rules got harder. For a longlong: Lasting for a great amount of time — 长久的 time, Canada was a popular choicechoice: The act of choosing between two or more things, or the range of things available. — 选择；抉择 for middle-class families: families that are not very rich and not poor, often with steady office or professional jobs — 中产阶级家庭. Students could take a short job-training course: a short course that teaches you the skills for a specific job, not a full university degree — 职业培训课程, find workwork: a job; the activity that someone does regularly to earn money — 工作；职业, and later applyapply: To make a formal request for something, such as a job. — 申请；应用 for permanent residency: the legal right to live and work in a country for a long time, but not as a citizen — 永久居留权. Then in 2024, Canada setset: To put something in a particular place or position, or to decide on a time, amount, etc. — 设置；放置；确定 a visa cap: a top limit on the number of visas a country will give out — 签证上限. It limited how many study permits: official papers that allow foreign students to live and study in another country — 学习许可（留学签证） it would give each year. Students also had to show more money in the bank, about C$20,000 insteadinstead: In place of something else. — 代替；反而 of C$10,000. The visa rejection rate: how many visa requests, out of every 100, are said no to — 签证拒签率 went up. More than half of new requestsrequest: A formal message requesting something — 申请;请求 were turned down in 2024.
Second, life in Canada got more expensive. Rentsrent: An amount of money that you pay regularly to use a room, house, etc. that belongs to someone else. — 租金；房租 went up fast in big cities. Food and bills cost more too. At the same time, good jobs were hard to find. Many small colleges had grown very quickly. They took in lots of students. But there were not enough jobs after graduationgraduation: The action or process of graduating and receiving a diploma for completing a course of study (such as from an educational institution) — 毕业. One formerformer: Having previously been a particular thing; of an earlier time. — 以前的；前任的 student moved back to India. He could not make ends meet: earn just enough money to pay for the things you need to live — 维持生计.
Third, in 2023, India and Canada had a diplomatic crisis: a serious disagreement between two countries' governments — 外交危机. The two governmentsgovernment: The group of people who run a country. — 政府 stopped being friendly for a while. Things are better now, and Canada still offers a post-graduation work permit: an official paper that lets foreign students work in Canada for some years after they finish their studies — 毕业工作签证 for up to three years. But many students worryworry: To feel anxious or troubled about a problem or possible event. — 担心；烦恼. Some who finishedfinished: To complete (something). — 完成；做完 their studiesstudies: Mental effort to acquire knowledge or learning — 学业 are stuck in limbo: stuck in a waiting state where you cannot move forward or back — 悬而未决 / 进退两难. They can stay in Canada, but they cannot build the life they came for. For many young people in India, Canada is no longerlong: For a great amount of time — 长时间 a sure plan.
In Delhi, India, students sit with their parents at a study advice office. They look at brochuresbrochure: A booklet of printed informational matter, like a pamphlet, often for promotional purposes — 宣传册 from many countries. They check schools in Italy, Germany, and Australia. But not many ask about Canada anymoreanymore: (in negative or interrogative constructions) From a given time onwards; longer, again — 不再. Shobhit Anand runs the office. He says, “Until 2023, most of our students wanted to go to Canada. Now we see almostalmost: Very nearly but not completely. — 几乎；差不多 80% fewer.”
The numbers tell the same story. In 2023, more than half of all new foreignforeign: From or in a country that is not your own. — 外国的 students in Canada came from India. By September 2025, only about 8 in 100 did. So why did so many Indianindian: Of or relating to India, its people, languages or culture. — 印度的 students stop choosing Canada? There are three main reasons.
First, the visavisa: An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay in a country. — 签证 rules got harder. For a longlong: Lasting for a great amount of time — 长久的 time, Canada was a popular choicechoice: The act of choosing between two or more things, or the range of things available. — 选择；抉择 for middle-class families: families that are not very rich and not poor, often with steady office or professional jobs — 中产阶级家庭. Students could take a short job-training course: a short course that teaches you the skills for a specific job, not a full university degree — 职业培训课程, find workwork: a job; the activity that someone does regularly to earn money — 工作；职业, and later applyapply: To make a formal request for something, such as a job. — 申请；应用 for permanent residency: the legal right to live and work in a country for a long time, but not as a citizen — 永久居留权. Then in 2024, Canada setset: To put something in a particular place or position, or to decide on a time, amount, etc. — 设置；放置；确定 a visa cap: a top limit on the number of visas a country will give out — 签证上限. It limited how many study permits: official papers that allow foreign students to live and study in another country — 学习许可（留学签证） it would give each year. Students also had to show more money in the bank, about C$20,000 insteadinstead: In place of something else. — 代替；反而 of C$10,000. The visa rejection rate: how many visa requests, out of every 100, are said no to — 签证拒签率 went up. More than half of new requestsrequest: A formal message requesting something — 申请;请求 were turned down in 2024.
Second, life in Canada got more expensive. Rentsrent: An amount of money that you pay regularly to use a room, house, etc. that belongs to someone else. — 租金；房租 went up fast in big cities. Food and bills cost more too. At the same time, good jobs were hard to find. Many small colleges had grown very quickly. They took in lots of students. But there were not enough jobs after graduationgraduation: The action or process of graduating and receiving a diploma for completing a course of study (such as from an educational institution) — 毕业. One formerformer: Having previously been a particular thing; of an earlier time. — 以前的；前任的 student moved back to India. He could not make ends meet: earn just enough money to pay for the things you need to live — 维持生计.
Third, in 2023, India and Canada had a diplomatic crisis: a serious disagreement between two countries' governments — 外交危机. The two governmentsgovernment: The group of people who run a country. — 政府 stopped being friendly for a while. Things are better now, and Canada still offers a post-graduation work permit: an official paper that lets foreign students work in Canada for some years after they finish their studies — 毕业工作签证 for up to three years. But many students worryworry: To feel anxious or troubled about a problem or possible event. — 担心；烦恼. Some who finishedfinished: To complete (something). — 完成；做完 their studiesstudies: Mental effort to acquire knowledge or learning — 学业 are stuck in limbo: stuck in a waiting state where you cannot move forward or back — 悬而未决 / 进退两难. They can stay in Canada, but they cannot build the life they came for. For many young people in India, Canada is no longerlong: For a great amount of time — 长时间 a sure plan.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What change does the article describe?
- 02
How much money do students now need to show in the bank to study in Canada?
- 03
Why did the former student in the story move back to India?
- 04
List the three main reasons the article gives for fewer Indian students going to Canada.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe how Indian student numbers in Canada changed between 2023 and 2025. Use the numbers from the article.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What change does the article describe?
- 02
How much money do students now need to show in the bank to study in Canada?
- 03
Why did the former student in the story move back to India?
- 04
List the three main reasons the article gives for fewer Indian students going to Canada.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe how Indian student numbers in Canada changed between 2023 and 2025. Use the numbers from the article.
Suggested length: ~50 words