Canada’s international student program has “fallen short” of improving integrity, according to a new report from the Auditor General, raising concerns about oversight and enforcement.
The report tabled in the House of Commons found that more than 153,000 potentially non-compliant international students were flagged by post-secondary institutions between 2023 and 2024.
However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada was only able to investigate 2,000 cases per year.
According to the report, of those cases, 1,654 students did not respond to inquiries, and “the department took limited action to confirm noncompliance other than contacting the student for further information.”
Auditor General Karen Hogan said the findings were troubling.
“I think they’re not acting on the information they have,” he told reporters. “And I would expect them to do that. They have the powers and the tools. They just need to use them.”
The audit also found that authorities did not monitor approximately 800 individuals who used fraudulent documents.
Many later received additional permits, and more than 100 were approved for permanent residence.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlej Diab said in a statement that the government would take action on the findings. It will “accept the Auditor General’s recommendations to strengthen follow-up where suspected fraud or non-compliance is identified. We will work to improve these processes.”
The report also raised concerns about tracking, with officials unable to confirm whether some students had left Canada after their permits expired.
