CANADA IMIGRATION

BOGUS FOREIGN STUDENTS SCAM IRCC

The Auditor General of Canada has cited over 153,000 cases of potential non-compliance or fraudulent documents in 2023-2024. IRCC failed to follow up on 800 fraudulent applications, and over 40% of flagged investigations went unanswered. Image credit: DAVID GUERRERO on Pexels.

A March 2026 Auditor General report found critical weaknesses in Canada's International Student Program, citing over 153,000 cases of potential non-compliance or fraudulent documents in 2023-2024, but limited investigation capacity, with only 2,000 cases reviewed annually.

IRCC failed to follow up on 800 fraudulent applications, and over 40% of flagged investigations went unanswered.

Key findings from the 2026 audit:

Lack of oversight: The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department failed to verify if international students with expired permits actually left the country.

High-risk cases: 800 cases involving the use of bogus documents or misrepresentation were not followed up on, with over 450 of these applicants subsequently receiving other permits to remain in Canada.

Insufficient monitoring: While over 153,00 cases were flagged for potential non-compliance with study permit conditions (e.g., not attending school), budget constraints limited investigations to roughly 2,000 a year.

Response gaps: About 40 per cent of inquiries regarding potential non-compliance received no response from the students involved.

Impact of changes: While the audit noted a sharp drop in study permit approvals of over 59% in 2024 following the introduction of a federal cap, the system's integrity controls were deemed weak.

Reaction: IRCC accepted the recommendations to strengthen follow-up mechanisms and improve program integrity.

Canada’s immigration minister Lena Metlege Diab said, “We accept the Auditor General’s recommendations to strengthen follow-up where suspected fraud or non-compliance is identified. We will act to improve these processes.”