Canada's Immigration Department Faces Challenges in Student Program

0:00It's March 23rd. Canada News today starts now. AI powered and ready. I'm Corey with the story. Canada's immigration department investigated just 4,057 cases of potential non-compliance in the international student program. From 2023 to 2024, out of 153,000 flagged by schools. Nearly 93% of 700 Canadian learning institutions reported those issues, but the department only has funding for about 2,000 checks each year. Meanwhile, the Auditor General's report highlighted issues with the international student cap announced last year. In 2024, officials projected 348,900 new study permits, but approved only 149,159, a 67% drop from the year before. All provinces saw steeper declines than expected. The report also noted a big rise in permit extensions compared to new ones, with two thirds of approvals being renewals.

1:01As of September 2025, there were 675,000 post-secondary students in Canada and 60,000 extension. Applications still pending. Worse, the department isn't tracking who leaves after permits expire. A 549,000 students whose permits ended in 2024, 93% were allowed to stay, and officials confirmed just 16,000 of the 39,500 who should have left actually departed. Immigration Minister Lena Diabbe welcomed the findings and pledged to follow the recommendations, aiming to boost checks on fraud and improve tracking. Processes for better program management.