Canada saw 'encouraging' student visa approval rates in 2025
People hoping to obtain a student visa in Canada may have some hope based on the latest approval data.
ApplyBoard, a Canadian educational tech company that helps international students apply for post-secondary studies, released a new analysis on Thursday, revealing what it says is a “significant and unexpected bright spot” in Canada’s international education sector.
According to the report, student visa approval rates in Canada for university bachelor’s programs surged in 2025, rebounding sharply after last year’s declines.
From Jan. to Aug. 1, 2025, 57 per cent of undergrad applicants were approved for a new Canadian student visa, an average last seen in 2022.
ApplyBoard states this was 16 per cent higher than the full year of 2024, and a much higher approval rate than those for other post-secondary levels, including all college and postgraduate programs.
ApplyBoard
Undergrad student visa approval in Canada by province
The report found that undergrad student visa approvals increased in nearly every province in Canada in 2025. Nine of the 10 provinces saw an uptick in bachelor’s approval rates compared to the full year of 2024.
“While British Columbia and Ontario saw the highest approval rates for new undergraduate applicants during the first eight months of 2025, it was Quebec and Alberta who experienced the highest approval rate increase compared to full-year 2024,” reads the report.
Quebec and Alberta’s approval rates went up 22 and 13 per cent, respectively.
ApplyBoard
ApplyBoard suggests this data highlights a healthy revitalization of regional study options.
“Atlantic Canada, for instance, saw consistent gains across Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick,” reads the report.
“This broad improvement signals that the bachelor’s degree is performing well across different provincial regulatory environments, allowing partners to diversify their student placements with renewed confidence.”
Bachelor’s approval ratings by country
ApplyBoard
When it comes to approval ratings based on country, ApplyBoard found that those rates are rebounding across a majority of key student populations.
Of the 20 leading student populations for undergrad applicants, 13 saw approval rates improve in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the full year of 2024.
ApplyBoard says more encouraging data is an upward trajectory seen among key emerging student populations. While student populations from Indonesia, Japan, and Hong Kong are still dependable, with approval rates above 90 per cent, many countries that have historically faced more challenging approval rates saw meaningful growth.
“The approval rate for Nigerian students improved by 10 percentage points over the full year 2024, while approval rates for Pakistan and Egypt also climbed substantially,” explains the report.
ApplyBoard
The analysis sourced data from January to August 2025 from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). All data in the report is for new study permits only.
ApplyBoard does note that study permit applications for undergraduate level studies have historically had higher approval ratings during January through August compared to September to December.
“This means that the full-year 2025 approval rates may still dip by a few percentage points,” it explains.
“Nevertheless, even with a modest seasonal correction, this part of the sector will likely finish well ahead of where it was in 2024, reinforcing the university route as a dependable choice for students planning their future in Canada.”
This data comes after Ottawa announced that it would slash international student permits in half as part of the 2025 federal budget.