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50,000 foreign students no-shows in 2024, including 20,000 Indian
Canada: 50,000 foreign students no-shows in 2024, including 20,000 Indian
This figure, accounting for 6.9% of all international students tracked by IRCC, has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Canada's compliance system for international students


Canada
Canada | Bloomberg
Surbhi Gloria SinghNew Delhi
4 min read Last Updated : Jan 17 2025 | 2:54 PM IST
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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
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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.”


https://www.business-standard.com/amp/finance/personal-finance/canada-tightens-family-work-permit-rules-key-changes-for-students-workers-125011700509_1.html?isa=yes

No source?

Does it mean they disappeared and never turned up at the school on entering Canada? Or they declared asylum on entering Canada, the article did not provide much details

This report is bullshit

Are you looking at numbers or rate of compliance and non compliance

Our compliance rate is still way higher than many on the list

Must you post your country in a negative way all the time?

Rwanda, Congo, Iran and Ghana are worse off Nigeria from the list you posted

Omoawoke:
This report is bullshit

Are you looking at numbers or rate of compliance and non compliance

Our compliance rate is still way higher than many on the list

Must you post your country in a negative way all the time?

Rwanda, Congo, Iran and Ghana are worse off Nigeria from the list you posted

Ahhh I thought I was going crazy looking at the so called list

Canada is on a downward trajectory since they opened their borders to all manner of cretins from shit hole countries. No job in that over rated countries sef...

franchasofficia:
Does it mean they disappeared and never turned up at the school on entering Canada? Or they declared asylum on entering Canada, the article did not provide much details

My thoughts exactly. No show can be for multiple reasons, some students stop attending college or they go back home.

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.

Omoawoke:
This report is bullshit

Are you looking at numbers or rate of compliance and non compliance

Our compliance rate is still way higher than many on the list

Must you post your country in a negative way all the time?

Rwanda, Congo, Iran and Ghana are worse off Nigeria from the list you posted

Read between the lines; you don't understand the post

franchasofficia:
Does it mean they disappeared and never turned up at the school on entering Canada? Or they declared asylum on entering Canada, the article did not provide much details

they mostly file asylum or work under the table jobs. Some get married or cross illegally to the usa too

Omoawoke:
This report is bullshit

Are you looking at numbers or rate of compliance and non compliance

Our compliance rate is still way higher than many on the list

Must you post your country in a negative way all the time?

Rwanda, Congo, Iran and Ghana are worse off Nigeria from the list you posted

nigeria ranks third. Where is the lie or negativity? Its facts

China:

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

Omo, almost 70k Chinese student in Canada. Chinese people Don japa from China finish o! Apc must have destroyed china, making the Chinese to abandoned their country..

Omoawoke:
This report is bullshit

Are you looking at numbers or rate of compliance and non compliance

Our compliance rate is still way higher than many on the list

Must you post your country in a negative way all the time?

Rwanda, Congo, Iran and Ghana are worse off Nigeria from the list you posted

Thank you bros. Most of those guys are very unintelligent

ednut1:
they mostly file asylum or work under the table jobs. Some get married or cross illegally to the usa too

I see

PulaPower:
China:

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

Omo, almost 70k Chinese student in Canada. Chinese people Don japa from China finish o! Apc must have destroyed china, making the Chinese to abandoned their country..

I know the motive of your post, but the reality is that there was an exodus of Hong Kongers to Canada when the city administration was handed over to Mainland China in the One Country, Two Systems. That influx from Hong Kong to Canada especially in the British Columbia Area made Vancouver to be known as Hongcouver. So Canada, just as South Korea and Japan, is just like another "China" to Chinese.