The Canadian government has unveiled revisions to the international student programme with the aim of safeguarding students against fraud and facilitating their pursuit of education in Canada. The minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a series of initiatives designed to fortify Canada’s international student programme and enhance the protection of legitimate students from fraudulent activities, according to media reports.
The newly improved verification process, as stated by IRCC, seeks to shield prospective students from fraudulent letter-of-acceptance schemes and to prevent them from encountering issues similar to those faced by certain students earlier this year due to fraud investigations. Furthermore, it will ensure that study permits are granted exclusively based on authentic letters of acceptance, as per the reports.
Starting from December 1, 2023, post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLIs) will be mandated to directly verify each applicant’s letter of acceptance with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This upgraded verification process has the primary objective of safeguarding potential students against fraudulent acceptance letters and preventing situations similar to those encountered by some students earlier this year due to investigations into fraud. This measure also ensures that study permits are exclusively granted based on legitimate letters of acceptance.
In preparation for the fall semester of 2024, the IRCC will implement a ‘recognised institution’ framework, which is believed to be advantageous for post-secondary DLIs that maintain higher standards for services, support, and outcomes for international students. Such DLIs will enjoy benefits such as expedited processing of study permits for students intending to enrol at their institution, the report stated.
Over the next few months, the IRCC will conduct an evaluation of the criteria for the post-graduation work permit programme and will initiate reforms to align it more effectively with the demands of the Canadian labour market, as well as regional and Francophone immigration objectives.
In June, in response to investigations into fraudulent admission letters, an IRCC task force was established to collaborate with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to review the cases of affected students and graduates, as stated on the IRCC website. The primary aim of this effort was to prevent genuine students from facing deportation from Canada, it added.