ca absence of 50,000 international students in Canada

Shocking revelation: 50,000 international students reported as ‘not present’ in Canada

According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for spring 2024, nearly 50,000 international students who received a Canadian study permit were reported as “not attending” by their respective universities and colleges. This issue highlights the challenges of Canada’s international student matching system.

Dimensions of the problem

According to compliance reports submitted by Canadian educational institutions to IRCC in March and April 2024, about 6.9% of international students did not comply with the conditions of their study permits.

This includes approximately 50,000 students who are neither enrolled in institutions nor attending classes. The status of another 23,514 students (3.3% of the total) also remained unreported, raising concerns about the system’s accountability.

The International Student Matching System, launched in 2014, requires institutions to report student enrollment status to IRCC twice a year. This system is designed to identify unsafe students and prevent abuse.