20,000 Indian college students vanish in Canada: Visa scams, faux faculties, and a damaged system
Canada’s rise as a premier vacation spot for worldwide college students has been nothing wanting exceptional, and nowhere is that this extra evident than in its rising recognition amongst Indian college students. In line with Statistics Canada, as of April 2024, over a million legitimate research visas have been issued within the nation. Estimates counsel that round 427,000 Indian college students are at the moment enrolled in Canadian establishments. A report by ApplyBoard reveals that within the first half of 2024 (January–June), Canada accepted 55,500 post-secondary research permits for Indian college students, making up 49% of all worldwide post-secondary college students. This proportion remained steady in comparison with 2023 (51%), and with an 85% approval charge, visa rejections haven’t posed a major hurdle for Indian candidates.
Nevertheless, regardless of these robust numbers, a troubling report has surfaced—almost 20,000 Indian college students haven’t joined their respective faculties or universities after arriving in Canada, and the federal government has no file of their whereabouts. Whereas this might sound alarming, the truth is extra complicated.
In line with a TNN report, many of those ‘lacking’ college students have taken up odd jobs to maintain themselves. Some fell sufferer to fraudulent faculties, whereas others deliberately misused the coed visa system to enter Canada for work as a substitute of schooling.
How Did 20,000 Indian College students ‘Disappear’ in Canada?
What are the primary causes behind college students ‘disappearing’ in Canada? It comes down to 2 key elements: The rise of fraudulent faculties, the place college students fall sufferer to scams, and the misuse of pupil visas, the place some deliberately use the system as a gateway to enter the nation quite than for schooling.
The Rise of Fraudulent Faculties
One of many main causes behind the problem is the existence of pretend or misleading instructional establishments. Many college students, wanting to research in Canada, fail to completely analysis their chosen faculties and find yourself falling sufferer to scams.
Take the case of a 24-year-old Indian pupil who believed he had secured admission to a reputed faculty in Brampton. Upon arrival, he found that the so-called “faculty” was merely a small workplace with no lecture rooms, stories TNN.
TNN has quoted him saying, “They instructed me courses have been full and requested me to attend,” he recounted. “Weeks handed, and I noticed the school was a rip-off. Fortuitously, I had solely paid ₹4.2 lakh of the full ₹12 lakh tuition charge.”
Now, as a substitute of attending lectures, he’s working at an area gasoline station to help himself.
The Misuse of Scholar Visas
Whereas some college students are victims of fraud, others have intentionally exploited loopholes in Canada’s pupil visa system.
In contrast to nations just like the US or Australia, Canada doesn’t require worldwide college students to prepay tuition charges earlier than arrival. This makes the system weak to misuse, as college students can enter on a research allow after which prioritize working over learning.
Many go for low-cost neighborhood faculties as a substitute of high universities, utilizing it as a gateway into Canada. As soon as there, they take up jobs as a substitute of attending courses, with hopes of ultimately securing everlasting residency (PR).
A 27-year-old pupil from Gujarat admitted to taking this route:
“Many individuals from my area have executed this, and I adopted swimsuit. I do know it is unlawful, however this was my solely means in. Moreover, even those that joined good faculties are doing the identical jobs as me. They’ve loans of ₹25 lakh or extra,” he instructed TNN in an interplay.
At present, he juggles two jobs—one at a restaurant and one other as a meals supply associate at night time—to ship a reimbursement dwelling.
The Greater Image: What Is Canada Doing About It?
The Canadian authorities is conscious of those tendencies and has began taking motion to crack down on fraudulent establishments and visa loopholes. To fight fraud and guarantee college students are enrolled in respectable establishments, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced stricter pupil visa laws. As per the New Visa Rules (Efficient November 2024)
Common Verification: Designated Studying Establishments (DLIs) will now be required to often confirm college students’ tutorial standing and be certain that acceptance letters are genuine.
Strict Monitoring: Twice a 12 months, DLIs should submit stories to IRCC confirming whether or not college students holding research permits stay enrolled.
Tighter Restrictions: DLIs that fail to adjust to these laws might face penalties, together with a one-year suspension from admitting worldwide college students.
Moreover, in September 2024, the IRCC applied a cap on research allow purposes to cut back strain on housing, healthcare, and important providers. This led to a 40% decline in worldwide pupil arrivals, serving to stabilize rental markets in high-demand areas.
For 2025, the research allow allocation has been set at 437,000 permits, a ten% lower from 2024’s 485,000 permits. The federal government has additionally up to date Pre-Arrival Studying (PAL) and Non permanent Admission Studying (TAL) necessities to additional streamline the coed consumption course of.
Whereas Canada continues to welcome 1000’s of Indian college students annually, the rise of fraudulent faculties and visa misuse poses important challenges. The brand new visa insurance policies purpose to curb these points whereas guaranteeing that college students get a real schooling quite than utilizing research permits as a backdoor to employment.
For aspiring college students, the important thing takeaway is thorough analysis earlier than selecting a university and following authorized pathways to review and work in Canada. With stricter monitoring in place, misusing research permits may result in severe penalties sooner or later.
