A January 2025 report revealed that nearly 50,000 international students failed to register at their designated schools after arriving in Canada in March and April 2023. Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) showed that these non-enrolled students made up 6.9% of the 717,539 international students being monitored.
Among the unregistered students, 20,000 were from India, 3,902 from Nigeria, and 2,712 from Ghana. Meanwhile, 89.8% of students (644,349) were confirmed as enrolled, while 23,514 had unrecorded status. Some of the missing students are working low-wage jobs, have fallen victim to fraudulent institutions, or have used study permits to illegally cross into the United States.
In response, Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced stricter regulations in November 2023, including potential suspension of non-compliant colleges and universities. IRCC has also strengthened monitoring efforts to detect non-compliant students and ensure institutions meet reporting requirements.
Minister Miller’s spokesperson, Renée LeBlanc Proctor, highlighted the role of organized smuggling networks and global migration crises in worsening the issue, underscoring the need for stricter oversight.
