Canada’s decision to keep new international student arrivals at 1.5 lakh a year for 2027, 2028 and 2029 means Indian students will continue to face a more restricted study permit environment. The target also signals that Canada is not planning an immediate return to the higher student intake levels seen before its immigration curbs.The announcement is part of Canada’s 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan, released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The government has set an overall target of 3.7 lakh new temporary resident arrivals annually, including international students and temporary foreign workers. Students will account for 40 per cent of these arrivals, while workers will make up the remaining 60 per cent.What has changed under the new plan?The 1.5 lakh annual student target is not an entirely new reduction. Canada’s previous 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan had already set the target at 1.5 lakh for 2027 and 2028. The latest plan extends the same figure to 2029.The target for 2026 remains slightly higher at 1.55 lakh. This means the annual allocation for new students will be 5,000 lower from 2027 onwards.YearNew student arrival target20261,55,00020271,50,00020281,50,00020291,50,000The government has also maintained its target of 2.2 lakh new temporary workers annually. Together, students and workers will account for 3.7 lakh temporary resident arrivals each year.The plan also maintains permanent resident admissions at 3.8 lakh annually between 2027 and 2029.Economic immigration will account for 64.4 per cent of these admissions. Family reunification will make up 21.3 per cent, while refugees and protected persons will account for 13 per cent.Story continues below this adWhat does this mean for Indian applicants?For Indian students planning to study in Canada, the new plan offers little indication of an expansion in opportunities. The annual student arrival target remains below the levels seen before the restrictions introduced in 2024.The reduction in Canada’s student intake comes after two years of falling numbers, with Indian applicants among the most affected.Also Read | Canada international student arrivals jump to 37,090 in August, but overall intake dropsAccording to IRCC data, the number of study permits issued to Indian students fell from 2,78,045 in 2023 to 1,88,465 in 2024. This was a decline of around 32 per cent. The fall continued in 2025. IRCC’s 2026 annual report lists 94,025 Indian study permit holders whose permits became effective in 2025. India remained the largest source country, accounting for 24.6 per cent of all study permits that became effective that year.Story continues below this adYearStudy permits issued to Indian students20232,78,04520241,88,465202594,025The figures show that the number of permits for Indian students has fallen by nearly two-thirds since 2023. The decline has coincided with Canada’s restrictions on international student admissions, including the introduction of a national cap in 2024 and tighter verification requirements.The broader fall in student arrivals is also visible in Canada’s latest immigration data. Between January and August 2026, the country recorded 65,240 new international student arrivals, compared with 2,21,680 during the corresponding period in 2024. This represents a 71 per cent decline. These are figures for all nationalities, not India alone.However, the 1.5 lakh figure is a national target under the new immigration plan. It is not a separate quota for Indian students. Applicants from India will continue to compete within the overall allocation alongside students from other countries.