Canada's immigration department is reviewing over 47,000 international students for possible visa violations, intensifying scrutiny on the country's fast-growing education system.

Aiesha Zafar, assistant deputy minister for migration integrity at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration that 8% of international students reviewed were "potentially non-compliant," meaning they were not attending classes as required.

"In terms of the total number of students we asked for compliance information from, that results in potentially 47,175. We have not yet determined whether they are fully non-compliant, these are initial results provided to us by institutions," Zafar said, adding that IRCC shares its data with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which investigates and removes visa violators, The Pie News reported.

Determining whether students are truly non-compliant is complex, Zafar noted, as schools report attendance data at different times, and some students may legally change institutions, graduate or take authorized leave.

Maria Mathai, founder of M.M Advisory Services, said portraying the 47,000 figure as a "crisis" misses the broader picture.

"Front-end Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) screening now blocks thousands who would have entered before, and ongoing oversight is catching legacy issues. The 47,000 non-compliance cases are a backlog, evidence that fraud detection is strengthening, not weakening, Canadian standards," she said.

Mathai added that the system is adjusting, noting that Ontario, home to the largest share of foreign students, previously sent most of its PALs to colleges with higher default rates. With new federal limits on study permits, she said, provinces are being pushed to "adapt entry practices based on evidence and learning."

Canada's international student compliance regime, introduced in 2014, relies on twice-yearly reports from Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). New rules now allow the suspension of non-reporting schools for up to a year, part of a wider effort to curb visa abuse.

The challenge is longstanding. Earlier this year, reports showed nearly 50,000 "no-shows," students who obtained study permits but never enrolled, with the largest share coming from India, followed by China, Nigeria and Ghana.

Pranav Rathi, associate director of international recruitment at Fanshawe College, said stricter screening is already underway.

"Each application is carefully reviewed, and checked for aggregate scores, backlogs, and authenticity of mark sheets," he said. "It is mandatory for a student to provide English language tests approved by IRCC and we also verify English proficiency through IELTS or equivalent test reports."

He added that allowing students to switch institutions after receiving study permits had worsened the problem. "Institutions should ensure that their representatives are transparent, well-trained, and follow ethical recruitment practices that align with institutional and regulatory standards," Rathi said.

The issue has drawn political attention in Ottawa as well. Conestoga College president John Tibbits, questioned in Parliament about high foreign student numbers and alleged strain on housing and public services, said colleges are committed to supporting local economies.

"Looking ahead, we believe this is the time to stabilize the system to build an international student program that is sustainable, fair, globally competitive and focused on Canada's economic priorities," he told lawmakers, CTV News reported. (VnExpress International)

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