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Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mark Carney met and reaffirmed the warmth and depth of the relationship between India and Canada — a relationship that, after a difficult period of diplomatic strain, is visibly on the mend. For Indian students considering where to pursue their graduate education, that meeting was more than symbolism. It was a signal.
Canada wants Indian students back. And for those who have been watching the chaos unfolding in the United States — visa revocations, deportations, F-1 restrictions — the timing could not be more relevant.
My advice to every Indian student with a graduate program in their sights: apply to Canada in parallel, regardless of where else you are applying. Canada offers an excellent-quality education, a booming job market for skilled graduates, and a clear path to permanent residency. Canada is not just a backup, but should be a serious choice of destination. The worst case scenario is that you have two strong options instead of one.
A New Chapter in the Canada-India Relationship
The Modi-Carney meeting marked a genuine turning point. Canada’s new government under Prime Minister Carney has made international engagement a priority, and the India relationship — one of Canada’s most consequential — is being rebuilt. For Indian students, this matters in practical terms: it signals a warmer adjudication environment, a more receptive immigration system, and a Canada that is making a deliberate choice to welcome Indian talent.
This comes at the right moment. Amid a chaotic world, Canada offers stability, a world-class university system, clear post-graduation work pathways, and — increasingly — a fast track to permanent residency.
Canada Has Rolled Out the Welcome Mat for Graduate Students
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Canada’s de facto Ministry of Immigration — has made an unmistakable policy choice: graduate students are a priority. While Canada introduced caps on undergraduate and college-level international students in 2024 to manage population growth, Master’s and PhD students were explicitly exempted. Ottawa wants talent. It wants researchers, engineers, and future innovators. Indian students, who have long demonstrated exactly those qualities, are well positioned to benefit.
IRCC recently dropped the requirement for a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) for graduate students at public universities, removing a significant bureaucratic hurdle. And in a move that signals genuine urgency, IRCC announced it would process study permit applications for doctoral students — along with their family members — in as little as two weeks. That is a remarkable commitment, and a direct message to the world’s best PhD applicants that Canada is serious about competing for them.
The Data Tells You Where to Apply — and Where to Avoid
Strategy matters here. MPOWER Financing obtained data directly from IRCC covering Indian Master’s and PhD applicants during the most recent academic year (October 2024 through September 2025). The results reveal a clear pattern: school selection is the single most important variable in whether your study permit application succeeds.
The numbers at Canada’s leading research universities are strong. The University of Waterloo approved 100% of Indian graduate study permit applications it received. The University of Alberta approved 86%. The University of Ottawa came in at 78%, University of Victoria at 75%, and both the University of Toronto and UBC at 71-73%. These are the institutions that IRCC trusts, that attract genuinely credentialed applicants, and that have strong records of graduate student outcomes.
Across all institutions in our dataset, the overall study permit approval rate for Indian graduate students during FY2025 was 60% — a meaningful number that underscores a real and achievable opportunity for well-prepared applicants.
But not all universities fare highly. Private and for-profit institutions fare worst of all. The lesson is straightforward: IRCC officers scrutinise the institution as much as the applicant. Applying to a school with a weak track record — no matter how attractively it markets itself or how generous its scholarships appear — materially reduces your chances of being approved. Choose institutions that appear in the Maclean’s rankings of comprehensive and medical/doctoral universities. The data clearly shows that you should favour public research universities over private colleges.
Solving the Proof-of-Funds Challenge
One of the most common reasons Indian graduate applicants are refused is insufficient proof of funds. IRCC’s financial requirements have increased in recent years, and demonstrating that you can cover both tuition and living expenses — without drawing on funds that look temporary or unverifiable — is genuinely difficult for many families.
MPOWER Financing exists precisely to solve this problem. MPOWER provides loans that cover the full cost of attendance — tuition and living expenses combined — for students at a number of Canadian universities, assessed on the basis of your academic profile and future earning potential rather than collateral or Canadian credit history. Two universities where MPOWER can fund full costs and where approval rates are strong: the University of Alberta and Carleton University. A MPOWER commitment letter directly addresses the proof-of-funds requirement and strengthens your permit application materially.
The Practical Playbook
Apply to Canada now, in parallel with any other applications. Target public research universities — institutions where the approval data is strong and the graduate experience is substantive. Avoid private institutions and aggressively-marketed schools with mixed approval records, regardless of how well they recruit. Prepare your documentation with care: financial evidence, a genuine acceptance letter, and a clear statement of purpose that reflects your real academic goals. And if financing is a concern, explore whether MPOWER or another lender can cover your full cost of attendance and include that commitment in your application.
The diplomatic relationship between India and Canada is warming. The immigration policy is welcoming graduate students. The data shows that the right schools deliver strong approval rates. And a Canada-trained Indian graduate, in 2025, has clear pathways to permanent residency and a career in one of the world’s most liveable, diverse, and economically dynamic countries.
The door is open. Walk through it.
Sasha Ramani is Head of Canada and Head of Corporate Strategy at MPOWER Financing, a Washington, D.C.-based fintech company that provides education loans to international students at over 500 universities across the U.S. and Canada. MPOWER has helped students from over 200 countries access education financing based on future earning potential rather than credit history or collateral. For more information, visit www.mpowerfinancing.com.
By Sasha Ramani, Head of Canada and Head of Corporate Strategy, MPOWER Financing
