Ottawa—Close to 50,000 international students, who were issued study permits for Canada, failed to enroll in their designated colleges and universities, with Indian nationals accounting for the largest share at 19,582. These figures, sourced from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and cited by The Globe and Mail, highlight a concerning 6.9% of international students tracked last spring as “no-shows.”
India, which represents the largest pool of international students to Canada, recorded almost 20,000 “no-shows,” roughly 5.4% of the Indian student population in the country.
The issue has sparked heightened scrutiny, with Indian authorities investigating possible links between Canadian educational institutions and illegal border crossings into the United States.
In response, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed ongoing investigations into suspected smuggling networks exploiting student visas to facilitate unlawful border crossings.
The revelations come amid growing concerns over the misuse of Canada’s immigration pathways and its implications for international relations and border security.
Alex Aggarwal says
Do we know no shows entered Canada on student visa?