OTTAWA — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revealed that approximately 47,000 foreign nationals who entered the country on student visas are currently residing in Canada illegally. The agency disclosed this information to the Canada House of Commons Committee, stating that these individuals have violated their visa conditions and are therefore ineligible to remain in the country.
Aisha Saffar, Head of Migration Integrity at IRCC, stated that 47,175 individuals who came to Canada as students are likely non-compliant with their visa terms, specifically by failing to attend their classes. Saffar confirmed that Indian nationals constitute the largest proportion of this non-compliant group.
The data is primarily sourced from post-secondary institutions in Canada. Saffar noted that while the agency has this figure, it is challenging to ascertain if all these students are completely non-compliant, adding that the agency has lost track of some international student information.
Officials highlighted that tracking the exact number of international students who violate visa conditions is a significant challenge for IRCC. They clarified that the responsibility of locating and removing non-compliant individuals falls under the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
If an international student ceases attending classes, schools are required to report this to IRCC. If an investigation confirms non-compliance, the individuals can then be referred to the CBSA. However, if the institution fails to report, IRCC currently lacks an independent system to track such students.
Saffar stressed that any foreign national in Canada falls under the jurisdiction of the CBSA, which is tasked with identifying lawbreakers. Earlier this year alone, 50,000 foreign nationals who entered on student visas were reported for non-attendance at their registered institutions, with 19,582 of those being Indian citizens.
