Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada indicated that these unregistered students represented 6.9 percent of the 717,539 international students under observation at that time.
The report highlighted that 20,000 students from India failed to enroll in their designated schools in 2023, while Nigeria had 3,902 unregistered students, and 2,712 students from Ghana were also noted as missing from enrollment records.
Conversely, 89.8 percent of international students (644,349) were confirmed to be enrolled, with the status of 23,514 students remaining unaccounted for.
Additionally, the report pointed out that some of these students are engaged in low-wage employment to support themselves, while others have fallen prey to fraudulent educational institutions. There are also cases where students are using Canadian study permits as a means to illegally enter the United States.
In response to the misuse of study permits, Immigration Minister Marc Miller implemented stricter regulations in November 2023.
These regulations include the possibility of suspending colleges and universities that do not comply with reporting requirements regarding student enrollment for up to a year.
The IRCC has since enhanced its monitoring efforts to identify non-compliant students and ensure that institutions adhere to reporting standards.
Renée LeBlanc Proctor, a spokesperson for Minister Miller, stated that Canada is becoming increasingly aware of the exploitation of temporary resident visas, especially student permits.
She underscored that organized smuggling networks and global migration crises have intensified the issue, highlighting the need for more robust oversight.