For a generation of Indian middle-class families, the promise of studying abroad was never just about education. It was a carefully calibrated investment ~ one that converted tuition fees into mobility, degrees into residency, and aspiration into permanence. Among destinations, Canada emerged as the most reliable engine of this transformation, offering not elite exclusivity but predictable outcomes.

That predictability is now breaking down. Over the past two years, a combination of tighter visa regimes, rising financial thresholds, and labour market strain has altered the risk calculus. What was once a structured pathway has become contingent, even uncertain. The increase in upfront financial requirements ~ effectively doubling proof-of-funds thresholds ~ has not merely raised costs; it has redefined who can even attempt the journey. For many Indian households, where overseas education is financed through loans or the liquidation of savings, this shift introduces a level of exposure that is difficult to justify. At the same time, the erosion of post-study certainty has been more consequential than policy........

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