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First Look: Q2 2025 Study Permit Data

Explore Canada’s IRCC study permit approval trends from Q2 2025 and see how DLIs can improve outcomes with targeted, data-driven recruitment strategies.
Written on January 12, 2024 by Author Name

How Approval Patterns Are Evolving

The newest IRCC data confirms what many enrollment teams have already sensed: we are at a turning point in study permit approvals. While overall application volumes dipped slightly in Q2 2025, approval rates surged; especially for schools taking a proactive, data-informed approach.


This breakdown highlights what changed, what it means for your international recruitment strategy, and how to course-correct now—before Q3 numbers arrive.

National Trends: Higher Quality, Higher Approvals

Q2 2025 saw 50,710 study permit applications, down slightly from Q1’s 54,260. But despite the dip, approvals jumped by 4,450, leading to a 10-point increase in the national approval rate (from 25.00% to 35.53%).

This suggests a growing divide in quality: fewer applications overall, but stronger ones getting through. For Designated Learning Institutions, this means more than just numbers—it’s a shift in expectations from IRCC.

“The data shows a small drop in total applications processed this quarter, but a big improvement in outcomes, ” says Jonathan Sherman, Vice President of Sales & Partnerships at BorderPass.

Key Metrics:

  • Q1 2025: 13,565 approvals (25.00%)
  • Q2 2025: 18,015 approvals (35.53%)
  • +42% increase in approval rate, despite fewer total applications

Let's see how we can work together.

Country-Level Shifts: Where Approvals Are Gaining Ground

Some source markets showed dramatic movement this quarter:

  • China: Stable growth, now surpassing 65% approval
  • Philippines: Q2 opened strong, topping 50%, with a small decline mid-quarter
  • Ghana: Massive +225% approval rate growth compared to Q1
  • South Korea: Consistent top performer at 85%+
  • India: Continued volatility, with a 26% drop in approvals vs. Q1

Smaller markets like Vietnam, Nepal, and Nigeria are also moving—some positively, some unpredictably—creating both new opportunities and risk. For many DLIs, this means rethinking region-based strategies in real time.

What’s Working: Strategy Is Outperforming Volume

One thing is clear: institutions prioritizing quality and readiness are winning. Schools using application intelligence—whether by tightening documentation review, prioritizing travel-readiness, or working with legally backed partners—are seeing dramatically better outcomes. In fact, schools working with BorderPass now average more than double the national approval rate.

“Schools working with BorderPass are leading the way with success rates more than double the national average," says Varinder Johal, Head of Legal at BorderPass.

This isn’t just correlation, it’s a sign that the bar is rising for all schools.

What DLIs Should Do Next

This data signals a critical moment: IRCC is rewarding precision, not just volume. Here’s how to stay aligned:

  • Audit your Q2 outcomes against national benchmarks
  • Shift recruitment energy toward countries showing strong, stable approval trends
  • Focus on early-stage support, not just post-LOA logistics
  • Use your institutional data to pinpoint friction, approval reasons are often preventable

Know Your Performance and How to Improve It

Book Your Data Review and the BorderPass team can build you a custom report showing:

  • How your school compares to the national average
  • Where targeted improvements can immediately lift outcomes

Talk to our team today.

Final Word: Approvals Are Up. Are You Keeping Pace?

The Q2 data makes one thing clear—quality beats volume. Schools that guide students through compliant, complete applications early are seeing results now, not later.

The gap between high- and low-performing DLIs is widening. But with the right insights and tools, it’s absolutely within reach to improve your outcomes; this quarter, and the next.

Get support from study application to settling in Canada.