In an effort to preserve and improve the integrity of Canada’s foreign student program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has started putting its first set of measures into action.
To be more precise, the immigration department has now opened an online gateway for Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs), which are the only universities in Canada with permission to take in foreign students, to confirm the letters of acceptance (LOAs) that these students provide to support their student visa applications.
The LOAs that students submit will now need to be verified by DLIs under the new structure via an online portal that will only be accessible to their representative(s) to the IRCC. Now, schools have up to ten calendar days to confirm acceptance letters. A DLI will revoke and return the student visa application to the applicant, along with any processing payments they may have paid, if they are unable to authenticate the LOA within that time limit or if they verify the letter as fraudulent.
Note that when the verification deadline has passed, DLIs will not be able to validate LOAs any more.
These new measures are a response to numerous previous misuses of Canada’s systems for international students, including a well-known case from last year in which 700 Indian students were almost deported after being tricked into traveling to the country on the basis of fictitious acceptance letters created by a dishonest immigration consultant.
On the official government website, you can find further details on the new procedures that DLIs are requiring to validate LOAs.
The framework of trustworthy institutions
The “Trusted Institutions Framework,” a new framework for DLIs, was also recommended this year by the IRCC. This new policy includes the implementation of a two-tiered study permit application process, similar to the one previously discussed.
Furthermore, this designation would help the reliable institutions included in this framework in a number of ways, including expedited study permit processing.
Although the exact workings of this framework are yet unknown, it is anticipated to be put into place in the fall of 2024. Nonetheless, the IRCC has emphasized time and again this year that safeguarding the integrity of the program for overseas students is still a top priority. To guarantee that DLIs can adequately assist international students for their academic experience, the department has said it may even think about restricting the amount of student visas.
Additional alterations in 2024
Canada’s foreign student program is expected to undergo significant changes in 2024, making it an exciting year to be involved in the program.
In particular, the IRCC will
- a $10,000 CAD increase in the cost-of-living criterion for students;
- Examine the 20-hour work limit for students studying abroad;
- Put an end to the accommodating policy that permits foreign students to apply their overseas study time toward their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP); and
- Provide fresh modifications to the PGWP initiative.
Furthermore, the department has declared its goal to establish a closer link between the labor market and demographic requirements and the enrollment of international students and PGWP issuing. In general, a lot of change is anticipated in 2024 as Canada struggles to accommodate about a million foreign students in the upcoming year.
