Canada: 50,000 foreign students no-shows in 2024, including 20,000 Indian

Nearly 50,000 international students, issued study permits for higher education in Canada, were reported as “no-shows” by colleges and universities, according to the Canadian government data from spring 2024 under the International Student Compliance Regime. Among them, 20,000 were Indian students.   

This figure, accounting for 6.9% of all international students tracked by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Canada’s compliance system for international students.   

Countries with the highest non-compliance rates, according to IRCC: 

India:  

Compliant students: 327,646  
Non-compliant students: 19,582  
Not reported: 12,553  
Compliance rate: 91.1%  
Non-compliance rate: 5.4%

China:  

Compliant students: 62,519  
Non-compliant students: 4,279  
Not reported: 466  
Compliance rate: 93.0%  
Non-compliance rate: 6.4%

Nigeria

Compliant students: 30,920  
Non-compliant students: 3,902  
Not reported: 1,675  
Compliance rate: 84.7%  
Non-compliance rate: 10.7%

Ghana  

Compliant students: 5,881  
Non-compliant students: 2,712  
Not reported: 139  
Compliance rate: 67.4%  
Non-compliance rate: 31.1%

Iran

Compliant students: 14,039  
Non-compliant students: 1,848  
Not reported: 88  
Compliance rate: 87.9%  
Non-compliance rate: 11.6%

Democratic Republic of Congo

Compliant students: 2,176  
Non-compliant students: 1,166  
Not reported: 7  
Compliance rate: 65.0%  
Non-compliance rate: 34.8%

Bangladesh

Compliant students: 11,948  
Non-compliant students: 984  
Not reported: 157  
Compliance rate: 91.3%  
Non-compliance rate: 7.5%

Vietnam

Compliant students: 9,573  
Non-compliant students: 912  
Not reported: 299  
Compliance rate: 88.8%  
Non-compliance rate: 8.5%

Rwanda

Compliant students: 840  
Non-compliant students: 802  
Not reported: 24  
Compliance rate: 50.4%  
Non-compliance rate: 48.1%

Philippines

Compliant students: 28,373  
Non-compliant students: 688  
Not reported: 2,078  
Compliance rate: 91.1%  
Non-compliance rate: 2.2%

In compliance reports submitted by Canadian institutions in March and April 2024, tens of thousands of students were found to have failed to adhere to the conditions of their study permits. An additional 23,514 students—3.3% of the total—had their statuses unreported. 

The International Student Compliance Regime, introduced in 2014, requires designated learning institutions to report twice annually on whether international students are actively enrolled and attending classes.  

Canada tightens rules 

In November 2023, Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced stricter rules, including suspending non-compliant institutions for up to a year. IRCC has also strengthened monitoring measures to identify non-compliant students and enforce reporting requirements.   

“Canada is aware of increased exploitation of temporary resident visas, including student permits. This has escalated due to organised smuggling networks and global migration crises,” said Renée LeBlanc Proctor, spokesperson for Minister Miller.   

In November 2023, Indian students, Canada’s largest group of international learners, received emails requesting resubmission of study permits, visas, and educational records. The notifications, which reportedly include students with valid visas for up to two more years, caused concern among students. 

In response to a query from Business Standard, IRCC clarified that these requests are part of a standard procedure and not a new practice. 

“Since 2015, the Canadian government has required most post-secondary designated learning institutions to report twice-yearly on the enrolment status of their international students through the international student compliance regime,” said IRCC. It further explained that regular compliance activities involve only designated learning institutions, not students directly. However, in some cases, students may be asked to provide documentation to confirm their enrolment status, such as current or past transcripts. 

When asked about the focus on Indian students, IRCC said, “Since India is the top source of international students in Canada, it is reasonably likely that a higher number were sent to Indian nationals.” 

India remains the largest source of international students in Canada, with 427,000 Indian students enrolled in Canadian institutions as of August 2024. 

In the same month, IRCC revealed that over 10,000 fake student acceptance letters were discovered during reviews of 500,000 documents. Reports indicated that 80% of these fraudulent documents were linked to students from Gujarat and Punjab.   

Jenny Kwan, an immigration critic for Canada’s New Democratic Party, described the findings as “extremely alarming,”. She said, “Canada has a responsibility to ensure that international students who have been defrauded are protected.”   

Concerns about some institutions’ verification practices have also been raised. Darshan Maharaja, a Canada-based immigration analyst, commented, “The many malpractices, including outright corruption, have become deeply entrenched in the immigration system. Comprehensive reforms are needed across the system.”