IRCC started implementing measures to enhance the integrity of Canada’s international student program

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began implementing steps to improve the credibility of Canada’s international student program. The government verifies international students’ acceptance letters through an online portal for Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). Schools have ten days for verification, the failure of which will cause the student visa application to be cancelled. This change was prompted by past abuses of Canada’s international student systems. A proposed “Trusted Institutions Framework” will introduce a two-tiered system for issuing study permits and may limit the number of student visas for better academic support. Other 2024 changes include increasing the cost-of-living requirement, reconsidering the work cap, ending the measure allowing time spent abroad towards the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), and aligning international student enrolment and PGWP issuance with labour market and demographic needs.