- A report revealed that nearly 50,000 international students in Canada failed to register at their designated schools
- Data from IRCC showed that these students accounted for 6.9% of the 717,539 international students being monitored
- Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced stricter regulations to curb the misuse of study permits
A recent report published in January 2025 has revealed that nearly 50,000 international students who arrived in Canada in March and April 2023 failed to enroll at their designated schools.
According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), these unregistered students made up 6.9 per cent of the 717,539 international students being monitored at the time.
The report highlighted that India had the highest number of non-enrolled students, with 20,000 students failing to attend their designated institutions.
Nigeria followed with 3,902 unregistered students, while Ghana recorded 2,712 missing enrollments.
Despite these figures, 89.8 per cent of international students (644,349) were confirmed to be attending their schools, while the enrollment status of 23,514 students remained unverified.
The report also sheds light on the reasons behind the non-enrollment of these students.
Some have resorted to low-paying jobs to survive, others have fallen victim to fraudulent educational institutions, and a portion use Canadian study permits as a means to enter the United States illegally.
In response to the misuse of study permits, Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, introduced stricter regulations in November 2023.
The measures include the possibility of suspending colleges and universities that fail to report student compliance for up to a year.
IRCC has since intensified monitoring efforts to detect non-compliant students and ensure institutions adhere to reporting requirements.
Renée LeBlanc Proctor, a spokesperson for Minister Miller, noted that Canada is increasingly aware of the exploitation of temporary resident visas, particularly student permits.
She pointed out that organised smuggling networks and the global migration crisis have contributed to the issue, making stricter oversight necessary.
Canada introduces new limit on international student permits for 2025
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a cap on the number of study permits for international students in 2025.
The limit is 437,000 permits, reflecting a 10% reduction from the previous year's target.
The decision comes in response to ongoing challenges, including pressure on housing, healthcare, and public services caused by a surge in the international student population.