Nearly 50,000 international students issued study permits by Canada in 2024 did not enroll at the institutions where they had been accepted, according to recent data from Immigration News Canada.
The alarming figure, representing 6.9% of all international students tracked by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Canada’s international student compliance system.
India topped the list, with about 20,000 students failing to show up, followed by:
•China: ~4,200 students
•Nigeria: ~3,900 students
•Ghana: ~2,700 students
Other countries in the top 10 include Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Rwanda, and the Philippines.
Experts suggested that the rise in non-compliance is linked to multiple factors, such as exploitation by fraudulent agents, attempts to migrate illegally to the United States, and a preference for prioritizing work or permanent residency over pursuing education.
The revelation coincides with ongoing efforts by the Canadian government to control the influx of migrants.
Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, emphasized that the country’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2025–2027 aims to slow down population growth in the short term while focusing on more sustainable long-term strategies.
