Why read this: This article tells a clear, real-world story about a problem your students may know about: studying abroad. It explains why fewer Indian students now choose Canada, using simple language and easy-to-follow numbers. Students learn how a study plan that worked for years stopped working, and how visa rules, costs and a diplomatic crisis can change a family's options. It is a useful first step for B1 readers into news writing about policy, jobs and migration.
What to notice: Notice how the article builds up many causes one by one: stricter visa rules, rising costs, a diplomatic crisis, a now-cancelled fast-track programme, and a job market that did not keep pace. Notice the 'from X to Y' pattern with numbers, such as 'from 51.6% in 2023' to '8.1% in September 2025', or '38%' to '52%'. Notice short, strong sentences (for example, 'The plan worked for a long time. Then it stopped working.') used to mark a turning point. Watch how the closing image, 'a clear plan has turned into a risky bet', sums up the whole article in one line.
Skills practised: Reading for cause and effect across a whole article (not just one paragraph). Reading numbers and pairs of statistics to find a trend. Tracking named people and groups (Shobhit Anand, the auditor general, McGill's president) and what each one says. Working out the meaning of multi-word terms from context (the visa cap, in limbo, a foothold abroad, make ends meet) supported by the margin glosses. Comparing two groups (academic students vs. those using study as a route to settle abroad) and using that comparison to explain who was hurt most by a policy.
Why Indian students are turning away from Canada
Canada was the top study-abroad choice for many Indian families. Now applications have dropped almost 80%. Here is what changed.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
In Delhi, students sit with their parents at an educationeducation: The process of imparting knowledge, skill and judgment. — 教育；教育过程 agencyagency: An organisation or business that provides a particular service, often on behalf of others. — 机构；代理公司. They turn the pages of brochuresbrochure: A booklet of printed informational matter, like a pamphlet, often for promotional purposes — 宣传册 from Italy, Germany and Australia. Until 2023, almost all of them came in asking about Canada. Now, fewer and fewer do. Shobhit Anand, who runs the agency, says applicationsapplication: A formal request for something, such as a job or a place at university — 申请；申请表；应用程序 to Canada have dropped by nearly 80%. Many families are also worried about the high visa rejection rate: the share of visa applications that are turned down — 签证拒签率.
The numbers tell a clear story. Accordingaccord: To grant as suitable or proper; to concede or award — 给予；授予；准许 to a recent report by Canada's auditor general: a senior government official whose job is to check how a government's money and programmes are managed — 审计长, only 8.1% of new international students in September 2025 were Indian. In 2023, the figure was 51.6%. Several things caused this fall: stricterstrict: Demanding that rules are obeyed; precisely defined and not to be deviated from. — 严格的；严厉的 visa rules, rising economic pressures: money problems and rising costs that make life harder — 经济压力, and a 2023 diplomatic crisis: a serious disagreement between two countries' governments — 外交危机 that hurt relationsrelation: The way in which two or more things are connected, or a member of your family. — 关系；亲属 between India and Canada.
For years, Canada was very attractive to middle-class families: families that are not very rich and not poor, usually with a steady office or professional income — 中产阶级家庭. Its privateprivate: Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group — 私人的；非公开的 colleges offered a fairlyfairly: To quite a large degree; more than a little but not very. — 相当地；还算 safe plan, eveneven: Exactly, just, fully — 正好 for average students. Sign up for a two or three year vocational course: a course that trains you for a specific job rather than giving a general academic degree — 职业课程, find a job 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, and apply for permanent residency: the legal right to live and work in a country for a long time, without becoming a citizen — 永久居留权 within five years. The plan worked for a longlong: Lasting for a great amount of time — 长久的 time. Then it stopped working.
In early 2024, Canada added a two-year limitlimit: the greatest amount of something that is allowed or possible — 限制；限度 on study permits: official documents that allow foreign students to live and study in another country — 学习签证（留学许可） for undergraduateundergraduate: a university student who has not yet completed their first degree — 本科生；大学生 and diploma programmes: shorter, job-focused study programmes that give a diploma rather than a full university degree — 文凭课程, allowing only about 350,000 per year. This was a big blow: a serious problem or piece of bad news that hurts plans — 沉重打击 for many students. At the same time, 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 sharplysharply: Severely — 急剧地 and jobs got harder to find. The amount of money students must show in a Canadian bank, called proof of funds: documents that show you have enough money to support yourself — 资金证明, doubled from C$10,000 to more than C$20,000. For families with limitedlimited: Restricted in size, amount, or extent. — 有限的；受限制的 savingssaving: An economy or reduction of money, time, or resources; money set aside for future use. — 节省；储蓄, this became a major barrier: a big obstacle that stops people from doing what they want — 重大障碍, especially when visa refusalrefusal: The act of refusing. — 拒绝 was a real riskrisk: A possible adverse event or outcome — 风险. Study permit rejections rose from 38% in 2023 to 52% in 2024.
The auditor general's report also looked at a fast-track visa programme called the Student Direct Stream: a now-cancelled Canadian programme that processed visa applications faster for students who met certain financial and language rules — 学生直入计划（SDS）, which has now been ended. It approvedapprove: To officially agree to or accept something as satisfactory. — 批准；赞成 98% of applications in 2024, but officialsofficial: An office holder invested with powers and authorities — 官员 warnedwarn: to tell someone about a possible danger or problem — 警告；提醒 about fraudulent applications: visa applications that contain false information or fake documents — 欺诈性申请 and rising asylum claims: official requests to stay in a country because returning home would be unsafe — 庇护申请. Meanwhilemeanwhile: During the time that something is happening — 与此同时, the international student boom: a sudden, large rise in the number of foreign students enrolling in a country — 国际学生潮 after the pandemicpandemic: A pandemic disease; a disease that affects a wide geographical area and a large proportion of the population — 大流行病；（疾病的）大范围流行 created a surge in: a sudden, large increase in something — 激增 private colleges, but jobs did not keep pace with: grow or change as fast as something else — 跟上……的步伐 the growing number of graduatesgraduate: a person who has completed a university degree — 毕业生. One formerformer: Having previously been a particular thing; of an earlier time. — 以前的；前任的 student moved home after relyingrely: To depend on someone or something with full trust or confidence. — 依赖；依靠 on part-time workwork: [General Physics] The product of force and distance moved in the direction of force — 功 to get by: to manage to live with just enough money or resources — 勉强度日: he could not make ends meet: earn just enough money to pay for what you need to live — 维持生计 / 收支相抵.
the visa cap: an upper limit on the number of visas issued — 签证上限 hit smaller colleges hardest. McGill University's president told the BBC that students fall into two camps: can be sorted into two clearly different groups — 分成两类（阵营）. Some come for top-quality study, while others see education mainlymainly: for the most part; more than anything else — 主要地；大部分 as a way to settlesettle: To resolve or reach an agreement about; to make one's home in a new place. — 解决；定居；安顿 abroad. Top universities like McGill were mostly shielded from the impact: protected so that a problem did not reach or hurt them — 免受冲击. Canada still offers post-graduation work permit: an official document that allows international students to work in Canada for some years after they finish their studies — 毕业工作签证 for up to three years, but a permit alone no longerlong: For a great amount of time — 长时间 guaranteesguarantee: To provide a formal assurance that something will happen or that a product will meet certain standards — 保证；担保 a job or a home. Many graduates now feel in limbo: stuck in an uncertain in-between situation, not moving forward — 悬而未决 / 进退两难: they can stay legally, but cannot build the life they wanted. For many, a foothold abroad: a small but secure first position in another country from which you can build a longer-term life — 在国外的立足点 has become harder to win, and a clear plan has turned into a riskyrisky: Full of the possibility of danger, failure, or loss. — 有风险的；冒险的 betbet: A wager, an agreement between two parties that a stake (usually money) will be paid by the loser to the winner (the winner being the one who correctly forecast the outcome of an event) — 赌注.
In Delhi, students sit with their parents at an educationeducation: The process of imparting knowledge, skill and judgment. — 教育；教育过程 agencyagency: An organisation or business that provides a particular service, often on behalf of others. — 机构；代理公司. They turn the pages of brochuresbrochure: A booklet of printed informational matter, like a pamphlet, often for promotional purposes — 宣传册 from Italy, Germany and Australia. Until 2023, almost all of them came in asking about Canada. Now, fewer and fewer do. Shobhit Anand, who runs the agency, says applicationsapplication: A formal request for something, such as a job or a place at university — 申请；申请表；应用程序 to Canada have dropped by nearly 80%. Many families are also worried about the high visa rejection rate: the share of visa applications that are turned down — 签证拒签率.
The numbers tell a clear story. Accordingaccord: To grant as suitable or proper; to concede or award — 给予；授予；准许 to a recent report by Canada's auditor general: a senior government official whose job is to check how a government's money and programmes are managed — 审计长, only 8.1% of new international students in September 2025 were Indian. In 2023, the figure was 51.6%. Several things caused this fall: stricterstrict: Demanding that rules are obeyed; precisely defined and not to be deviated from. — 严格的；严厉的 visa rules, rising economic pressures: money problems and rising costs that make life harder — 经济压力, and a 2023 diplomatic crisis: a serious disagreement between two countries' governments — 外交危机 that hurt relationsrelation: The way in which two or more things are connected, or a member of your family. — 关系；亲属 between India and Canada.
For years, Canada was very attractive to middle-class families: families that are not very rich and not poor, usually with a steady office or professional income — 中产阶级家庭. Its privateprivate: Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group — 私人的；非公开的 colleges offered a fairlyfairly: To quite a large degree; more than a little but not very. — 相当地；还算 safe plan, eveneven: Exactly, just, fully — 正好 for average students. Sign up for a two or three year vocational course: a course that trains you for a specific job rather than giving a general academic degree — 职业课程, find a job 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, and apply for permanent residency: the legal right to live and work in a country for a long time, without becoming a citizen — 永久居留权 within five years. The plan worked for a longlong: Lasting for a great amount of time — 长久的 time. Then it stopped working.
In early 2024, Canada added a two-year limitlimit: the greatest amount of something that is allowed or possible — 限制；限度 on study permits: official documents that allow foreign students to live and study in another country — 学习签证（留学许可） for undergraduateundergraduate: a university student who has not yet completed their first degree — 本科生；大学生 and diploma programmes: shorter, job-focused study programmes that give a diploma rather than a full university degree — 文凭课程, allowing only about 350,000 per year. This was a big blow: a serious problem or piece of bad news that hurts plans — 沉重打击 for many students. At the same time, 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 sharplysharply: Severely — 急剧地 and jobs got harder to find. The amount of money students must show in a Canadian bank, called proof of funds: documents that show you have enough money to support yourself — 资金证明, doubled from C$10,000 to more than C$20,000. For families with limitedlimited: Restricted in size, amount, or extent. — 有限的；受限制的 savingssaving: An economy or reduction of money, time, or resources; money set aside for future use. — 节省；储蓄, this became a major barrier: a big obstacle that stops people from doing what they want — 重大障碍, especially when visa refusalrefusal: The act of refusing. — 拒绝 was a real riskrisk: A possible adverse event or outcome — 风险. Study permit rejections rose from 38% in 2023 to 52% in 2024.
The auditor general's report also looked at a fast-track visa programme called the Student Direct Stream: a now-cancelled Canadian programme that processed visa applications faster for students who met certain financial and language rules — 学生直入计划（SDS）, which has now been ended. It approvedapprove: To officially agree to or accept something as satisfactory. — 批准；赞成 98% of applications in 2024, but officialsofficial: An office holder invested with powers and authorities — 官员 warnedwarn: to tell someone about a possible danger or problem — 警告；提醒 about fraudulent applications: visa applications that contain false information or fake documents — 欺诈性申请 and rising asylum claims: official requests to stay in a country because returning home would be unsafe — 庇护申请. Meanwhilemeanwhile: During the time that something is happening — 与此同时, the international student boom: a sudden, large rise in the number of foreign students enrolling in a country — 国际学生潮 after the pandemicpandemic: A pandemic disease; a disease that affects a wide geographical area and a large proportion of the population — 大流行病；（疾病的）大范围流行 created a surge in: a sudden, large increase in something — 激增 private colleges, but jobs did not keep pace with: grow or change as fast as something else — 跟上……的步伐 the growing number of graduatesgraduate: a person who has completed a university degree — 毕业生. One formerformer: Having previously been a particular thing; of an earlier time. — 以前的；前任的 student moved home after relyingrely: To depend on someone or something with full trust or confidence. — 依赖；依靠 on part-time workwork: [General Physics] The product of force and distance moved in the direction of force — 功 to get by: to manage to live with just enough money or resources — 勉强度日: he could not make ends meet: earn just enough money to pay for what you need to live — 维持生计 / 收支相抵.
the visa cap: an upper limit on the number of visas issued — 签证上限 hit smaller colleges hardest. McGill University's president told the BBC that students fall into two camps: can be sorted into two clearly different groups — 分成两类（阵营）. Some come for top-quality study, while others see education mainlymainly: for the most part; more than anything else — 主要地；大部分 as a way to settlesettle: To resolve or reach an agreement about; to make one's home in a new place. — 解决；定居；安顿 abroad. Top universities like McGill were mostly shielded from the impact: protected so that a problem did not reach or hurt them — 免受冲击. Canada still offers post-graduation work permit: an official document that allows international students to work in Canada for some years after they finish their studies — 毕业工作签证 for up to three years, but a permit alone no longerlong: For a great amount of time — 长时间 guaranteesguarantee: To provide a formal assurance that something will happen or that a product will meet certain standards — 保证；担保 a job or a home. Many graduates now feel in limbo: stuck in an uncertain in-between situation, not moving forward — 悬而未决 / 进退两难: they can stay legally, but cannot build the life they wanted. For many, a foothold abroad: a small but secure first position in another country from which you can build a longer-term life — 在国外的立足点 has become harder to win, and a clear plan has turned into a riskyrisky: Full of the possibility of danger, failure, or loss. — 有风险的；冒险的 betbet: A wager, an agreement between two parties that a stake (usually money) will be paid by the loser to the winner (the winner being the one who correctly forecast the outcome of an event) — 赌注.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
By September 2025, what share of new international students in Canada were Indian?
- 02
Why did the higher proof of funds rule (from C$10,000 to more than C$20,000) make families hesitate to apply?
- 03
According to McGill's president, why were top universities mostly shielded from the visa cap?
- 04
Explain why fewer Indian students are choosing Canada now. Give at least two reasons from the article and use evidence (a number or example) for each.
Suggested length: ~70 words
- 05
Compare the two groups of students described by McGill's president. How does this difference help explain who was hurt most by the visa cap?
Suggested length: ~70 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
By September 2025, what share of new international students in Canada were Indian?
- 02
Why did the higher proof of funds rule (from C$10,000 to more than C$20,000) make families hesitate to apply?
- 03
According to McGill's president, why were top universities mostly shielded from the visa cap?
- 04
Explain why fewer Indian students are choosing Canada now. Give at least two reasons from the article and use evidence (a number or example) for each.
Suggested length: ~70 words
- 05
Compare the two groups of students described by McGill's president. How does this difference help explain who was hurt most by the visa cap?
Suggested length: ~70 words