Canada’s immigration authorities believe that part of the reason study permission applications from India have decreased has been due to restrictions on open work permits for spouses which earlier led to marriages of convenience.
Event Context
This was among the factors noted by Han Duan, First Secretary (Migration), posted at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to Sean McLuckie, Director, Irregular Migration and Risk Intelligence, International Platform, in communication that was obtained by Lexbase, the newsletter circulated monthly by Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Richard Kurland.
In the communication dated March 22, 2025, Duan said, “Given the high cost of studying and living in Canada, many Indian applicants relied on marriages of convenience to secure financial support in exchange for spousal Open Work Permits (OWPs). This practice was widely advertised in local newspapers and on dating apps.”
He pointed out that following the introduction of restrictions on spousal OWPs, many Indian study permit applicants shifted to countries that still permit spousal visas, with “significant increases” reported in Germany, Sweden, and Finland.
Similar trends were observed in Ireland, France, and Italy, while Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom reported declines in Indian applications after implementing similar spousal restrictions. “The recent policy changes have disrupted common strategies used by applicants who intended to change schools or prioritise work over study,” he said.
Additionally, he said, applicants with strong academic and language credentials were increasingly choosing destinations that offer spousal visas, further contributing to the decline in quality of study permit applicants to Canada from India. “Finally, shifting public sentiment in Canada regarding international students may also be influencing the decision-making processes,” he said.
The restrictions were introduced in 2024 and most spouses of undergraduate and college students are deemed ineligible under the current version of the programme.
“Since the introduction of the student cap and various policy measures over the past year, New Delhi has observed a decline not only in the total number of Indian Study Permit (SP) applicants but also in the overall quality of applicants,” he said in the communication.
