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REPRESENTATIVE
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REPRESENTATIVE
A significant number of Indian students were among the nearly 50,000 international students who were reported as “no-shows” at Canadian colleges and universities in March and April 2024, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Of these, nearly 20,000 were from India, accounting for 5.4 per cent of the total number of Indian students tracked by the agency.
Overall, the non-compliance rate for international students stood at 6.9 per cent of all study permit holders. The data was collected as part of the International Student Compliance Regime, which mandates educational institutions to report enrolment figures twice a year to ensure compliance with study permits.
The tracking covered students from 144 countries, with varying non-compliance rates. For example, 688 students (2.2 per cent) from the Philippines and 4,279 students (6.4 per cent) from China failed to attend their designated institutions. However, the non-compliance rate was notably higher in countries such as Iran (11.6 per cent) and Rwanda (48.1 per cent).
In response to this issue, Indian law enforcement agencies have initiated an investigation into possible connections between Canadian colleges and entities in India that are allegedly involved in facilitating illegal migration across the Canada-US border. Some students from India are believed to have used study permits as a means to enter Canada, only to cross into the US illegally. Henry Lotin, a former federal economist and immigration expert, told The Globe and Mail that most of the non-compliant Indian students likely stayed in Canada, working while pursuing permanent residency.
The situation has raised concerns about potential loopholes in the system. Lotin suggested that international students should be required to pay fees upfront as a way to prevent misuse. In light of these issues, Immigration Minister Marc Miller recently introduced stricter regulations, including penalties for institutions that fail to report enrolment figures accurately.
A further complication has been revealed by discrepancies between Statistics Canada’s estimate of over one million valid student visa holders in April 2024 and IRCC’s smaller numbers, based on enrolment data. This gap has raised doubts about the actual number of unaccounted-for students.
Experts are calling for increased transparency and better data collection to address these concerns. Canadian immigration lawyers have also recommended limiting the use of foreign consultants in student visa applications as a way to reduce fraudulent activities.
Also Read: Indian Students In Canada Told To Resubmit Visas, Study Permits