Last year, the introduction of Canada’s international student caps led to a notable decline in study permit1 approvals. While overall study permit approval rates had hovered around 60% from 2021 to 2023, they dropped to just 48% in 2024. When we last looked at the main causes for these refusals, we found many applicants were refused because immigration officers were unconvinced that the applicant would leave Canada after their studies.
Over the 2024 calendar year, Canadian study permits were most commonly refused due to the same perception: that the student wouldn’t leave Canada at the end of their stay. Additionally, many students were refused due to insufficient financial support. The popularity of these refusal reasons emphasizes how important it is that applicants clearly and persuasively outline their economic ability to study and live in Canada. It’s also important to remember that there are many reasons why a study permit could be refused, and immigration officers may select more than one reason for their refusal.
Here, we’ll look at full-year 2024 data—the latest available—to see how study permit refusals have evolved. We’ll also explore general refusal trends, shifts due to policy updates, and some common refusal reasons related to document authenticity and application completeness.
Key Insights at a Glance
- The most common reason for study permit refusal in 2024, as in 2023, was that the immigration officer was unconvinced the applicant would leave Canada after their studies.2
- In 2024, immigration officers citing financial concerns accounted for three of the top five refusal reasons provided to applicants, with all financial refusal grounds experiencing a proportional increase from 2023.
- The proportion of refusals that cited “unspecified” reasons, when immigration officers wish to provide more details in the refusal letter rather than cite specific policy reasons, continued to fall in 2024.
Top Reasons for Canadian Student Visa Application Rejection
In 2024, almost 290,000 study permit applications were refused and just under 268,000 were approved.3 Canadian immigration officers gave 81 different reasons for these study permit refusals, and per IRCC data for full-year 2024, an average of 2.7 reasons were given for each study permit refusal.4
The most common refusal reason cited last year, appearing in just over 75% of refusals, was that the immigration officer was unconvinced the applicant would leave Canada at the end of their stay, based on their travel history. While reviewers at IRCC understand that some future students hope to gain work experience in Canada after graduation, including through Canada’s Post-Graduation Work Permit program, the extensive use of this reason last year suggests that many applicants are perceived as having permanent residency as their primary purpose, instead of study.
IRCC’s position on dual intent continues to evolve, as outlined by a 2023 IRCC update to dual intent instructions which noted that while students’ intention to study must be genuine, wanting to work in Canada after graduation isn’t a conflicting purpose. However, several measures were also taken to moderate the total number of incoming students last year. These included caps on study permit applications, the closure of the Student Direct Stream, and the inclusion of temporary resident targets in the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan. These shifts in the international education landscape signal that IRCC officers are applying an elevated scrutiny to study permit applications, impacting refusal rates.
The chart below shows how the most common refusal grounds for study permits have shifted:5
Access to sufficient financial assets rose to become the second-most common refusal reason in 2024, edging past a perceived inconsistent purpose of visit.
Adequate funds was a common theme across several top study permit refusal reasons. This is likely tied to recent increases in cost of living benchmarks, which elevated minimum proof of financial support from $10,000 in 2023 to $20,635 in 2024. As such, it’s vital for applicants to clearly show their ability to pay for their living and studying expenses. A good way to do this is by including a minimum of six months of bank statements, with a full transaction history, as supporting documents with a study permit application. Officers will often look for steady income over that time, versus large or erratic deposits. Prospective students may also consider showing proof of funds with a Guaranteed Investment Certificate or GIC.
Beyond financial refusals, “other” or “unspecified” is used as a refusal reason when immigration officers wish to share more details in the application refusal letter. Its use has tapered off over the past four years as more specific reasons have become available.
Starting in July 2025, select study permit refusal letters will be accompanied by officer decision notes from the officer who rejected the application. This update aims to heighten transparency across the study permit application process.
How Perceived Authenticity Affects Study Permit Refusals
When we look at post-pandemic study permit trends, some refusal reasons linked to authenticity and applicant honesty are rising:
While these reasons account for a small percentage of study permit refusals, they still affect thousands of students. For example, in 2024, over 13,000 applicants were refused a study permit based on misrepresenting or withholding facts.
The most common reason related to authenticity was that the applicant was found inadmissible to Canada “for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter which induces or could induce an error in the administration of [the Immigrant and Refugee Protection] Act.”6 Use of this reason has risen year-over-year since 2021, impacting nearly 5% of all cases in 2024.
Meanwhile, other applications were refused based on the reviewer believing documents were inauthentic, or the applicant didn’t answer questions truthfully. Yet, it’s encouraging to see that immigration officials believed that fewer inauthentic documents were submitted in 2024 versus 2023. This is likely thanks, in part, to the integration of modern, AI-driven tools like those used by ApplyBoard which check document accuracy and build trust in the study permit application process.
Thousands of Potential Students Refused Due to Missing Documentation
The Canadian study permit application process is always changing. That’s why it’s important for institutions and recruitment professionals to know when new requirements—like biometrics—are introduced so that the students they’re working with can submit successful applications. Last year, these documents were the most commonly missed:
Study permit applications can take a long time to assemble. It’s vital that students start working on them as early as possible. Every refusal reason above is entirely preventable, given enough time to review the application for completeness.
Having others review study permit applications can also prevent regrettable permit refusals. Whether it’s through working with a recruitment professional who understands the process and can watch for common errors, or using a platform like ApplyBoard which automatically reviews submitted documents, an extra set of eyes can make the difference between acceptance and refusal.
The ApplyBoard platform uses carefully calibrated processes to ensure documents are legible, the statement of purpose is unique, and the student’s passport and English proficiency test scores are verified. If there’s a concern, our Customer Experience team is flagged and the application is reviewed manually. This can lead to a follow-up with the student for more information. Or, in more serious cases and after review by a second team member, it can result in the application’s cancellation. When this happens, our team follows up with the student and recruitment professional with why the application was cancelled. Plus, we carefully vet and train the global network of recruitment partners we work with to ensure their students receive timely, accurate information and guidance.
This attention to detail means admissions teams will spend less time reviewing weak or incomplete applications. It also means study permit applications reviewed by ApplyBoard have a much higher success rate. In fact, the average study permit approval rate for ApplyBoard students was 82% last year—34 percentage points higher than the general approval rate.
Setting Future Students Up for Success
Financial capacity was linked to many of the most common reasons for Canadian study permit rejections in 2024. This shows how important it is for aspiring international students to clearly illustrate their financial readiness to live and study in Canada.
One of the best ways students can show proof of finances is with a Guaranteed Investment Certificate, or GIC. ApplyBoard is proud to work in partnership with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and TD Bank to offer students a way to strengthen their study permit application. ApplyBoard also offers tailored study abroad loans through six global banking partners.
Guiding students through the study permit application process is a crucial task, whether you’re a recruitment professional or part of an academic team. To foster success, it’s vital to offer resources which are current and trustworthy. Also, when working with prospective students, encourage them to begin their study permit applications as soon as possible. This approach gives students ample time to collect any supporting documents, arrange for necessary translations, and write a strong statement of purpose—all without the stress of a looming deadline.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. The terms student visa and study permit are generally used interchangeably for Canadian international students. Rather than student visas, Canada provides accepted international students with study permits, which allow those students to enrol in classes at Canadian institutions. When a student is accepted for a study permit, they are also usually provided with a visitor visa, which allows that student to enter Canada for their studies.
2. Data is courtesy of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), unless otherwise stated.
3. Most study permit applications are either accepted or refused, but a small percentage are withdrawn during the application process.
4. Over the 2024 calendar year, 289,809 study permits were refused. 778,113 instances of refusal grounds were given over that time frame. 778,113 ÷ 289,809 = 2.685, thus 2.7 reasons (on average) per refusal.
5. Study permit refusal reasons evolve yearly as new ones are introduced and others are phased out. For example, data for the reason “no significant family ties outside Canada” only dates back to 2022.
6. Government of Canada, Justice Laws Website. “Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – Misrepresentation (sec. 40).” Accessed Aug. 20, 2025.
