Canada loses track of 20,000 Indian students, raising visa fraud concerns

According to a recent report by The Globe and Mail citing data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), these missing students accounted for 6.9% of the 717,539 international students tracked at the time. In contrast, 644,349 students (89.8%) were confirmed to be compliant, while the enrollment status of 23,514 remained unrecorded.

Indian students made up the largest portion of those who did not enroll, totaling 19,582. Chinese students ranked second with 4,279 cases, followed by 3,902 Nigerian students and 2,712 Ghanaian students.

While many of these "missing" students are believed to be working low-paying jobs to sustain themselves, others have fallen victim to fraudulent educational institutions.

A Times of India report highlighted the case of a 24-year-old Indian student who arrived in Canada believing he had been admitted to a prestigious university in Brampton. Upon arrival, he discovered the so-called "university" was nothing more than a small office with no classrooms. School representatives told him classes were full and asked him to wait.

He later realized it was a scam, but fortunately, he had only paid 420,000 rupees (US$4,800) of the 1.2 million rupees in tuition fees.

His education consultancy firm in India had only communicated with him by phone before his departure, assuring him he could cover the remaining fees through part-time work. With no alternative, he took a job at a local gas station to support himself.

Meanwhile, others have deliberately taken advantage of loopholes in Canada's student visa system.

Unlike the U.S. and Australia, Canada does not require international students to pay tuition before arrival. This allows some to enter the country on study permits but work instead of attending school. Many enroll in low-cost community colleges as a pathway to employment and eventual permanent residency.

A 27-year-old from Gujarat admitted to The Times of India that he enrolled in a community college solely to work in Canada. He now juggles two jobs, working at a restaurant during the day and as a food delivery partner at night, to send money back home.

"Many people from my region have done the same, so I followed suit. I know it's illegal, but this was my only way in. Besides, even those who attended reputable colleges are working the same jobs as me and are burdened with loans of 2.5 million rupees or more," he said.

Most of the students identified in the Times of India report came from Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra, sharing similar experiences.

According to The Pie News, Canada introduced stricter penalties for institutions that fail to report international students' compliance to IRCC last November. However, the country still has the most lenient reporting requirements among the top four study destinations

For comparison, U.K. institutions must report no-shows within 10 working days, while those in the U.S. and Australia have about a month. In Canada, institutions are only required to submit a compliance report within 60 days of receiving a request.

India is now investigating potential links between Canadian colleges recruiting international students and illegal migration networks in India. Some students are suspected of crossing into the U.S. illegally rather than attending school.

Government data from the first half of 2024 showed that Indian students comprised 49% of all international students in Canada, followed by Chinese students at 12%.

The report comes as Canada reassesses its immigration policies. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of international students in the country doubled to over 640,000. After the pandemic, the figure surpassed one million as Canada actively sought foreign workers.

However, facing increasing pressure on housing, healthcare, and public services, the government began tightening immigration policies in January 2024. New measures include capping study permits and restricting post-graduation work eligibility. In 2025, Canada plans to issue only 437,000 study permits, a 10% decrease from the previous year.