A recent report has revealed that nearly 50,000 foreign students failed to enrol in their designated institutions after arriving in Canada, with Indian students accounting for the largest share of untracked cases.
According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), 19,582 Indian students did not enrol, followed by 4,279 Chinese students, 3,902 Nigerian students, and 2,712 Ghanaian students.
The missing students, who arrived between March and April last year, represent 6.9% of the 717,539 international students monitored at the time.While 89.8% were confirmed to be compliant, the status of 23,514 students remained unrecorded.
Concerns have been raised over visa fraud, as some students were allegedly misled by fraudulent institutions, while others may have deliberately exploited Canada’s lenient reporting system to enter the country for work.
A Times of India report highlighted the case of a 24-year-old Indian student who traveled to Canada believing he had been admitted to a university in Brampton, only to find the institution was a small office with no classrooms.
Unable to enrol, he was forced to take a job at a gas station to survive.Similarly, some students admitted to enrolling in low-cost community colleges solely to work in Canada.
“Many people from my region have done the same, so I followed suit. I know it’s illegal, but this was my only way in,” a 27-year-old from Gujarat said in a report by The Times of India.
Unlike the U.S. and Australia, Canada does not require international students to pay tuition before arrival, making it easier for individuals to obtain study permits but never attend school. In response, the Canadian government has tightened immigration policies, including capping study permits and limiting post-graduation work opportunities.
Authorities in India are now investigating potential links between Canadian colleges and illegal migration networks, as some missing students are suspected of crossing into the U.S. illegally instead of attending school.
The issue comes as Canada reassesses its immigration policies amid growing concerns about housing, healthcare, and public services.
