Over 47,000 international students may now be staying illegally in Canada; India among leading countries

Canada may currently have as many as 47,000 international students living in the country illegally, according to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ( IRCC), as reported by National Post. This was reported at a House of Commons committee meeting and reflects students who entered Canada on study visas but may have violated their visa conditions.

Aiesha Zafar, head of migration integrity at IRCC, said that 47,175 individuals are potentially “non-compliant,” meaning they are not attending classes as required under their student visas. When asked if any countries were predominant among these cases, Zafar said, “India is one of the top countries.”

According to the National Post report, IRCC’s data is primarily based on reports from Canada’s post-secondary institutions. Schools notify IRCC when international students stop attending classes, and these cases are then referred to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for potential enforcement. However, if a school does not report a student, IRCC currently has no mechanism to track them.

Zafar noted that determining the exact number of students violating visa terms is challenging. “Any foreign national in Canada would be under the purview of the Canada Border Services Agency, so they have an inland investigation team,” she said, emphasizing that enforcement falls under CBSA’s responsibility.

Earlier this year, IRCC data indicated that in spring 2024 alone, 50,000 foreign students were reported as “no-shows” by their schools. Of these, 19,582 were from India, followed by 4,279 from China. The report highlights growing concerns over compliance among international students and the need for stricter tracking measures.

The issue raises questions about visa oversight and enforcement as Canada continues to attract large numbers of international students each year.