IRCC Minister Marc Miller has introduced reforms to the international student program in response to investigations revealing fraudulent letters of acceptance being issued to overseas students for Canadian post-secondary institutions.
IRCC Minister Marc Miller has introduced reforms to the international student program in response to investigations revealing fraudulent letters of acceptance being issued to overseas students for Canadian post-secondary institutions.
The Canadian government is instituting a new verification process and a “recognized institutions” framework aimed at safeguarding prospective students from letter-of-acceptance fraud.
On October 27, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC) Federal Minister Marc Miller introduced reforms to the international student program in response to investigations revealing fraudulent letters of acceptance being issued to overseas students for Canadian post-secondary institutions.
In June, a task force led by IRCC collaborated with the Canada Border Services Agency to investigate potential immigration fraud involving fake acceptance letters and determine if international students were complicit or victims.
As of October 12, the review of 103 cases revealed 63 genuine students and 40 fraudulent cases.
DLI’s directly verifying overseas student permits
Beginning December 1, post-secondary designated learning institutions will be mandated to directly verify every overseas study permit applicant’s letter of acceptance with IRCC. This aims to safeguard prospective students from letter-of-acceptance fraud.
Additionally, a new “recognized institutions” framework is set to be implemented by the fall semester of 2024. This framework seeks to recognize post-secondary DLIs that uphold higher standards in services, support, and outcomes for international students.
The institutions may receive benefits, such as priority processing of study permits for applicants intending to enroll at their institution.
New verification process
The new verification process, as stated by IRCC, is designed to assist prospective students in avoiding “similar problems” faced by others in the wake of fraud investigations. Its primary goal is to ensure that study permits are only issued on the basis of authentic letters of acceptance.
“Individuals with cases being assessed by the IRCC task force are given every opportunity to have their case considered fairly. Those who are not found to be involved in fraud will not face removal,” according to IRCC’s statement.
Under the recognized institutions framework, institutions will undergo assessments based on higher standards which involve demonstrating sustainable recruitment of genuine students, offering sufficient student support encompassing housing and mental health, promoting equity and diversity, and showcasing robust student outcomes.
The IRCC has engaged in consultations with DLIs, provinces, territories, and national education associations. Feedback gathered from these stakeholders will be utilized to “refine” the planned framework.
While the list of indicators is still in the process of being finalized, further details will be provided to comprehensively explain how institutions will achieve recognition and the associated benefits.
Not much changes in the University of Alberta
The University of Alberta Students’ Union (UASU), a member of the Canadian Alliance of Students Associations (CASA), actively engages in representing the voices of post-secondary students to the federal government.
Chris Beasley, external vice-president of UASU, noted that the group, through CASA, participated in discussions with Miller regarding fraudulent acceptances.
According to Beasley, fraudulent acceptances are “fairly infrequent” at the University of Alberta, and the majority of international students at the institution “shouldn’t see many changes at all.”
“International students won’t come to Canada if they get an acceptance letter in the mail, but they’re not sure if it’s real. They’re not sure if there’s actually space for them, [or] if they’re going to be turned away. But they spend thousands of dollars moving to Canada, uprooting their lives,” Beasley said.
