Canada asks international students for proof after visa fraud concerns

Students in Canada, including many Indians, asked to submit enrolment proof and transcripts within 21 days or risk losing status

Canada’s immigration department has begun sending compliance verification letters to international students enrolled at higher education institutions, following concerns raised by the country’s Auditor General over the integrity of the programme, according to a LinkedIn post by Kubeir Kamal, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC).

 

These letters have been received by several students, including many from India, in recent weeks, according to the post.

 

What triggered the latest checks?

 

The move follows a report on International Student Program Reforms submitted to Parliament on March 23 by Canada’s Auditor General. In a statement issued then, Auditor General Karen Hogan said, “The department needs to act on the information it has to address integrity concerns in the program.”

   

What do the letters ask students to provide?

 

A letter received by an Indian student from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and shared by Kamal on social media, said that for compliance purposes, the student was required to provide:

 

— A formal letter from their designated learning institution confirming current enrolment status

— Current and previous transcripts from any designated learning institutions attended in Canada

 

The letter also warned: “Failing to provide the required documents within 21 days could result in the loss of your temporary resident status in Canada.”

 

Concerns over delayed action

 

Sierah said the action comes late, as the surge in fraud took place in earlier years and many of those students have already completed their courses.

 

“They are finally acting, but it may be too late,” said Kanwar Sierah, immigration consultant.

 

He added that the key issue was the role of institutions. “What was the role of these colleges? How many got work permits with fraudulent documents?”

 

What the Auditor General’s report found

 

The report pointed to gaps in enforcement and oversight:

 

— Between 2023 and 2024, more than 153,000 students were identified as potentially non-compliant with study permit conditions

— IRCC had funding to investigate only 2,000 cases each year

 

In three investigations, IRCC identified 800 study permits issued between 2018 and 2023 where applicants had either used fraudulent documents or misrepresented information to gain entry into Canada.

 

Many of those individuals later applied for other immigration permits after arriving in the country.

 

The report said that 710 applicants claimed to have attended overseas institutions that were later found to be non-existent or selling qualifications for immigration purposes.

 

IRCC did not take enforcement action in those cases, and 110 of those individuals have since applied for asylum.

 

What happens next?

 

IRCC is now required to investigate all alleged cases of international student permit fraud or non-compliance and submit a report on its findings by the 15th of each month to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

 

On March 25, the Committee resolved that the government “ensure that all those who enter Canada on a fraudulent basis are not issued further visas.”

 

In recent weeks, IRCC has also issued warnings about fraud, targeting both applicants and immigration agents.

 

The Auditor General has called on IRCC to “follow up on all applications flagged for potential fraud through its new verification system.”

 

In response, IRCC agreed to provide the Canada Border Services Agency annually with a list of individuals with expired permits who have not applied for extensions, transitioned to permanent residence, or otherwise maintained valid immigration status.