Over 20,000 Indian students fail to attend Canadian colleges in 2024: Report
Nearly 20,000 Indian students were among 50,000 international "no-show" students in Canada in early 2024, per IRCC. Non-compliance accounted for 6.9% of all study permit holders, as tracked under the International Student Compliance Regime.
FollowIndian students accounted for a considerable share of the nearly 50,000 international students classified as “no-shows” at Canadian colleges and universities during March and April 2024, as per data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Among these, approximately 20,000 were from India, making up 5.4 percent of the total number of Indian students monitored by the agency.
In total, non-compliant international students made up 6.9 percent of all study permit holders, according to data gathered through the International Student Compliance Regime. This system mandates educational institutions to report enrolment details twice annually to monitor compliance with study permit regulations.
The data revealed that students from 144 countries were monitored, showing significant variation in non-compliance rates. For example, 688 students from the Philippines (2.2 percent) and 4,279 from China (6.4 percent) did not attend their designated institutions. In comparison, the non-compliance rates were notably higher for Iran at 11.6 percent and Rwanda at 48.1 percent.
Indian law enforcement agencies have initiated an inquiry into potential connections between Canadian colleges and organizations in India accused of aiding illegal migration across the Canada-U.S. border. Reports suggest that some Indian students used study permits as a cover to enter Canada and subsequently cross into the U.S. unlawfully.
A related issue brought to light inconsistencies between Statistics Canada's estimation of over one million active student visa holders in April 2024 and the lower figures reported by IRCC based on enrolment records. This disparity has sparked concerns regarding the actual number of students unaccounted for.
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