The government of Canada has announced that international students, including Nigerians, will have to verify their admission starting December 1, 2023.
According to a statement published on Canada’s immigration website, Honorable Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, said the changes to its International Student Program will safeguard authentic students from fraud.
The statement from the Canada immigration office reads:
“Starting December 1, 2023, post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLI) will be required to confirm every applicant’s letter of acceptance directly with IRCC.
“This new, enhanced verification process will help protect prospective students from letter-of-acceptance fraud and help them avoid similar problems that some students faced earlier this year as a result of fraud investigations.
“It will also ensure that study permits are issued based only on genuine letters of acceptance.
“Also, in time for the fall 2024 semester, IRCC will adopt a “recognized institution” framework to benefit post-secondary DLIs that set a higher standard for services, support, and outcomes for international students.
“These DLIs will help, for example, with the priority processing of study permits for applicants who plan to attend their school.
“In the coming months, IRCC will complete an assessment of Post-Graduation Work Permit Program criteria and begin introducing reforms to better calibrate it to meet the needs of the Canadian labour market, as well as regional and Francophone immigration goals.”
Why the changes?
Recently, the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) conducted an investigation, revealing that out of the 103 cases reviewed, 63 admissions were confirmed to be genuine students, while 40 were not.
Reacting, Miller emphasised that IRCC is determined to mitigate fraud in international student admissions.
His words: “We must address challenges to the integrity of the International Student Program.
“Through these measures, we are taking action against nefarious actors who have preyed on genuine students for financial gain by identifying every fraudulent letter of acceptance soon after it is submitted.
“Institutions that demonstrate strong support for international students will be recognized and their applicants will move to the front of the line for processing, and we will be able to better select and retain those students.”
