20,000 Indian Students Fail to Show Up at Canadian Colleges

Toronto: Nearly 20,000 international students, primarily from India, failed to attend their designated colleges and universities in Canada during March and April 2024, according to data from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This figure represents 6.9% of all international students tracked by the department during the period.

The non-compliance has raised significant concerns about the effectiveness of Canada’s compliance system for international students. Investigations have linked this issue to illegal migration networks, with some students suspected of crossing the Canada-US border illegally instead of attending classes1.

Indian authorities are currently investigating potential links between Canadian colleges admitting international students and these illegal migration networks. Experts have emphasized the need for stricter regulations and better tracking to prevent such abuses1.

In response to the situation, Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced stricter rules in November 2023, including suspending non-compliant institutions from enrolling international students for up to a year. The IRCC has also strengthened monitoring measures to identify non-compliant students and enforce reporting requirements2.

The compliance data revealed varying non-compliance rates among countries, with the Philippines reporting the lowest rate at 2.2%, while Rwanda had the highest at 48.1%.

The issue has sparked a debate on the integrity of student visa programs and the need for better oversight to ensure that international students adhere to their study permits.