Canada's immigration department has started sending letters to international students to verify their compliance with study permit norms, following a report by the country's Auditor General that raised concerns over the integrity of the program.
The letters, received by several students including many from India, require students to provide a formal letter from their designated learning institution confirming current enrolment status, along with current and previous transcripts.
Failing to provide the required documents within 21 days could result in the loss of temporary resident status in Canada, the letter warned.
The move comes after the Auditor General's report found that between 2023 and 2024, the department identified over 153,000 students as potentially non-compliant with study permit conditions, but had funding to investigate only 2,000 cases each year.
IRCC has agreed to provide the Canada Border Services Agency annually with a list of individuals with expired permits, who have not applied for or received an extension, or applied for or transitioned to permanent residence, or otherwise maintained valid immigration status.
