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Nearly 20k Indian students reported 'No-Shows' in Canada'; visa abuse fears
Indian students make up the largest group of international students in Canada, with nearly 6% reported as "no-shows" in 2024, raising concerns about visa abuse and prompting calls for stricter rules.
File photo of Canada's flag / Pexels
Nearly 50,000 international students who received study permits to come to Canada were reported as "no-shows" at their colleges and universities during March and April of 2024, according to government data. These students, from 144 countries, did not attend the schools they were supposed to be enrolled in, violating the terms of their study permits.
According to The Globe and Mail report, citing official Canadian government data, 19,582 Indian students, approximately 5.4 percent of the total number of Indian international students tracked by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), have been reported as “no-shows” at Canadian colleges and universities, raising alarms over potential abuse of the student visa system.
Indian students made up the largest share of this group, with nearly 20,000 individuals failing to show up for their courses. While the reasons for non-compliance vary, authorities suggest that many of these students are likely still in Canada but are working instead of attending school, possibly to settle permanently in the country.
In total, there were 644,349 international students in Canada, with 49,676 reported as non-compliant and 23,514 cases not reported. For Indian students specifically, there were 327,646 enrolled, with 19,582 reported as non-compliant and 12,553 cases not reported.
The issue has gained additional attention due to an ongoing investigation by Indian law enforcement officials into alleged connections between Canadian colleges and entities in India suspected of facilitating illegal border crossings. The investigation suggests that some students may have used their study permits to enter Canada, only to then cross the border illegally into the United States.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has confirmed it is working with Indian authorities to gather more information. However, the RCMP believes most of the students in question have not left Canada, but are instead working and attempting to establish themselves in the country.
The rise in non-compliant students has prompted calls for stricter enforcement of international student regulations. Henry Lotin, a former federal economist, proposed that requiring international students to pay fees upfront before arriving in Canada could help reduce the potential for system abuse.
The issue is part of a broader trend in which the Canadian government has been closely monitoring the behavior of international students.
Since the introduction of the International Student Compliance Regime in 2014, universities and colleges have been required to report on student enrollment and compliance with study permits twice a year. This initiative aims to identify and address fraudulent student activities, including the operation of questionable schools and institutions.
As of now, the Canadian government has not implemented major changes in response to the findings, but the increasing number of “no-show” students continues to raise concerns about the integrity of the international student program.
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