International Student Program reforms controlled growth, fell short on improving integrity: Auditor General of Canada
Indo-Canadian Voice International Student Program reforms controlled growth, fell short on improving integrity: Auditor General of Canada posted by: Rattan MallA report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled on Monday in the House of Commons concludes that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reduced the number of new post-secondary study permits issued to control the growth of the International Student Program but that the department’s efforts to strengthen integrity measures had fallen short in key areas. […] The post International Student Program reforms controlled growth, fell short on improving integrity: Auditor General of Canada first appeared on Indo-Canadian Voice.Indo-Canadian Voice
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A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled on Monday in the House of Commons concludes that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reduced the number of new post-secondary study permits issued to control the growth of the International Student Program but that the department’s efforts to strengthen integrity measures had fallen short in key areas.
While the department successfully reduced the number of new study permits following a limit on study permit applications announced by the federal government in January 2024, the combined effect of fewer applications and lower-than-projected approval rates led to a sharper decline than forecasted. In 2024, the department approved fewer than half the forecasted number of new study permits. Some provinces were expected to see increases of 10% but experienced decreases of 59% or more in approved new study permits in 2024 compared with 2023.
The audit found critical weaknesses in the program’s integrity controls. While the department introduced a new tool that verified 97% of acceptance letters issued by learning institutions included in study permit applications, it did not effectively investigate students already in Canada who were flagged as potentially not complying with the terms of their study permits. In 2023 and 2024, a total of about 150,000 cases were flagged, but the department had enough funding to investigate only about 4,000.
The audit also found that the department did not follow up on 800 individuals who, after study permits were issued, were identified as having misrepresented information or used fraudulent documents in their applications. Most of these individuals later applied for other immigration permits while in Canada, and more than half of those applications have been approved.
“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada implemented reforms to the International Student Program that supported a reduction in new study permits but fell short in other key areas,” said Hogan. “The department needs to act on the information it has to address integrity concerns in the program.”
The 2026 Report of the Auditor General of Canada, International Student Program Reforms, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.
The post International Student Program reforms controlled growth, fell short on improving integrity: Auditor General of Canada first appeared on Indo-Canadian Voice.Indo-Canadian Voice
