Ottawa, Canada: In a startling disclosure, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has identified 47,175 international students who are “non-compliant” with their study permit conditions — meaning they are not attending classes as required.
According to Aiesha Zafar, head of migration integrity at the House of Commons Committee, the figure represents students who may be in violation of their visa terms, with a significant number believed to be residing illegally within Canada. The revelations were first reported by the National Post.
While multiple nationalities are involved, India ranks at the top of the list of non-compliant students. The findings are based on reports submitted by Canadian colleges and universities, which are legally required to notify IRCC when international students stop attending classes. These reports are forwarded to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for potential enforcement.
However, officials admit a major oversight gap — if institutions fail to report absences, there is no direct system to track missing or inactive students. “Quantifying non-compliant international students remains difficult,” Zafar said, noting that active investigations fall under the CBSA’s jurisdiction.
Earlier this year, IRCC disclosed that during spring 2024, nearly 50,000 students were flagged as “no-shows.” Among them, around 20,000 were Indian nationals and over 4,200 were from China.
The revelation has reignited debate about the weaknesses in Canada’s student monitoring system, especially as universities increasingly rely on foreign students to sustain their operations and local economies.
Adding to the concern, new study permit approvals for Indian nationals have dropped sharply. Between January and July 2025, only 52,765 permits were issued — down from 188,255 during the same period in 2024. Experts forecast that by year-end, approvals may not exceed 90,000, reflecting a 67.5% decline compared to 2023.
The downturn aligns with Canada’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which seeks to reduce the temporary resident population to below five per cent. Consequently, total arrivals — including international students and foreign workers — fell 57% in the first half of 2025 compared to last year. Student arrivals dropped by 214,520, a 70% plunge, while foreign work permits declined by 50%.
Indian students remain the most affected group, facing an 80% rejection rate in 2025 — the highest among all nationalities. The situation underscores growing challenges for Indian families weighing the rising costs, PR uncertainties, and limited opportunities in Canada’s evolving immigration landscape.
