A recent report published in January 2025 has revealed that nearly 50,000 international students, including thousands from Nigeria, did not enroll in their designated institutions after arriving in Canada between March and April 2023.
Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicated that these students accounted for 6.9% of the 717,539 international students monitored at the time.
The report highlighted that 20,000 of the unregistered students were from India, while Nigeria recorded 3,902, and Ghana accounted for 2,712 missing enrollments.
Meanwhile, 89.8% of international students—totaling 644,349—were confirmed as enrolled, while the enrollment status of 23,514 students remained unverified.
The report suggested that many of these students turned to low-paying jobs to survive, while others fell victim to fraudulent educational institutions.
Some were also found to be using their study permits as a means to enter Canada before crossing illegally into the United States.
In response to concerns over the misuse of study permits, Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, introduced stricter regulations in November 2023.
These measures include potential penalties, such as suspending colleges and universities for up to a year if they fail to report on student compliance.
The IRCC has since intensified efforts to track student compliance and ensure institutions meet reporting requirements.
Minister Miller’s spokesperson, Renée LeBlanc Proctor, noted that Canada is increasingly aware of the exploitation of temporary resident visas, particularly student permits.
She emphasized that organized smuggling networks and ongoing global migration challenges have worsened the situation, making stricter oversight necessary to prevent further abuses.
