New Delhi: Immigration rules in some of the world's most popular destinations for Indian students and professionals are undergoing important changes, with Canada increasing the amount of money international students must show for living expenses, the United Kingdom recording a fall in student visa applications and the United States publishing its latest visa availability figures for September 2026.The changes are particularly relevant for Indian applicants planning to study, work or settle abroad. Students and professionals from Dehradun and other parts of Uttarakhand, as well as Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, are closely watching policy changes in Canada, the UK, the US and Australia before making decisions about their overseas plans.

Canada increases proof-of-funds requirement for international students

Canada has increased the financial requirement for international students applying for a study permit from September 1, 2026. A single student applying outside Quebec must now show CAD 23,448 for annual living expenses, excluding tuition fees and transportation costs. The amount is higher for applicants travelling with family members.The requirement is part of Canada's annual adjustment of the amount students must demonstrate to show that they can support themselves while studying. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says applicants must demonstrate sufficient funds for tuition, living expenses and transportation and may also need to explain how they intend to finance the full duration of their studies.For students in Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh and other cities across Uttarakhand, the increase means financial preparation will be an even more important part of the Canada study permit process. Applicants should make sure that their financial documents are consistent, verifiable and sufficient under the rules applicable on the date they submit their application.The change comes as Canada continues to manage the size of its international student programme. The Canadian government has maintained an intake cap on most study permit applications and has set a lower temporary resident target for 2026 than in earlier planning periods.

UK student visa applications decline

The United Kingdom is also seeing a change in international student demand. According to the latest UK Home Office statistics, there were 360,700 applications for sponsored study visas from main applicants in the year ending August 2026, a decline of 16 per cent compared with the previous year. Applications from student dependants also fell during the same period.The figures come against the backdrop of changes introduced to Britain's student immigration system. Since January 2024, most international students have not been permitted to bring dependants to the UK, although exemptions apply to certain categories of students. The latest government figures show that dependant applications remain substantially below the levels recorded before the rule change.Another important change concerns the UK's Graduate visa. Students who apply for the Graduate visa on or before December 31, 2026 can receive permission to stay for two years, while applications submitted from January 1, 2027 will generally provide an 18-month period. PhD and other doctoral graduates remain eligible for a three-year Graduate visa.This distinction is important for Indian students planning their education timeline. A student considering a UK course should look not only at admission and tuition costs but also at the immigration rules that are expected to apply when the student becomes eligible for post-study permission.

US Visa Bulletin brings fresh update for Indian applicants

The United States has released its September 2026 Visa Bulletin, which sets out the availability of immigrant visa numbers for family-sponsored and employment-based categories.For Indian nationals, the bulletin remains particularly significant because India is one of the countries subject to per-country limits in several immigrant visa categories. The September bulletin lists specific final action dates and filing dates for Indian applicants across employment-based categories.For September, the employment-based final action date for Indian applicants is October 15, 2022 for EB-1, while the EB-3 category has a final action date of January 1, 2014. The bulletin also states that high demand in the Indian EB-1 category could require the category to become unavailable before the end of the fiscal year if the applicable annual limit is reached.The US State Department has also previously confirmed that the annual limit for India's EB-5 unreserved category had been reached for fiscal year 2026. The department said that the annual limits would reset with the beginning of fiscal year 2027 on October 1, 2026, subject to the applicable rules and visa availability.For Indian professionals pursuing US permanent residence, the Visa Bulletin therefore remains an important document to monitor. A person's priority date, employment category and country of chargeability can determine when an immigrant visa number becomes available.