On October 27, 2023, Canada鈥檚 Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, intended to protect international students coming to Canada.听
This news addresses recent incidents of international students receiving fraudulent letters of admission from false agents and not receiving sufficient support amidst the current housing crisis.听
天美麻豆 is thrilled to see Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) taking action to address these challenges, protect the wellbeing of international students, and maintain the integrity of Canada鈥檚 international student program. Keep reading for a summary of what we know about the newly announced measures.
IRCC Introduces 3 Impactful New Measures听
The three major changes planned are designed to bolster Canada鈥檚 International Student Program and help protect international students from becoming victims of fraud.听
The measures are:听
- The launch of a new verification process for letters of acceptance (LOAs). Beginning December 1, 2023, all post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLIs) will be required to confirm the legitimacy of LOAs directly with IRCC.
- The introduction of an official 鈥渞ecognized institution framework,鈥� designed to incentivize DLIs to provide better international student support and outcomes. This new system, to be implemented by Fall 2024, will likely result in faster study permit processing for institutions that meet the criteria.
- A planned assessment of the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Program, followed by potential program reforms to better address Canada鈥檚 labour shortage and regional immigration goals.听
As part of the same announcement, Minister Miller also dismissed the recent suggestions of an international student cap, observing that the lived experience of students is too complex for such a simple formula. As part of an answer to a later question, Minister Miller noted that he doesn鈥檛 see a scenario in which Canada reduces its international student numbers.听
More details are still to be released about each specific measure and its rollout. In the sections below, we鈥檝e summarized what we do know and what is likely to happen.
Canada鈥檚 New LOA Verification Process听
Following a high-profile case from earlier this year in which hundreds of international student victims were found to have been given falsified letters of acceptance, IRCC is implementing a new reporting process for all designated learning institutions.听
The enhanced system, which comes into effect on December 1, 2023, will require institutions to authenticate their LOAs directly with IRCC before a corresponding study permit is processed and issued. More specific details have yet to be announced.听
Seamless Automation with ApplyProof听
This effort to safeguard students from fraud is a very positive development, and a necessary one. However, it does put an increased burden on Canadian institutions themselves, adding an additional manual and time-consuming step into the student admissions process.听
That鈥檚 where our sector-leading solution comes in.
ApplyProof enables Canadian institutions to securely track and maintain data on several documents key to an international student application, including LOAs. We鈥檙e pleased to report that the ApplyProof portal integrates well with the new IRCC process, and can empower institutions to meet the government鈥檚 requirement in seconds鈥攕ecurely, efficiently, and with privacy protection by design.听
ApplyProof enables institutions to:
- Automate the new IRCC reporting process听
- Make documents verifiable and portable at no cost to students听
- Maintain an efficient dashboard to track records of proof of acceptance documents
Thanks to ApplyProof, document authentication already comes built-in with 天美麻豆 application submissions to most Canadian institutions. We鈥檙e pleased to see the Canadian government taking similar steps to authenticate LOAs, mitigate fraud, and protect students.听
Learn more about how ApplyProof provides document verification and mitigates application fraud.
Study Permit Fast-Tracking for Trusted Institutions
Minister Miller also officially announced the implementation of a new Recognized Institution Framework, which will reportedly be put into place before the Fall 2024 semester begins.听
Under this new framework, IRCC intends to reward or punish DLIs based on how well they鈥檙e supporting international students. Institutions that provide positive outcomes for international students will benefit from faster study permit processing, whereas those that do not will be identified and held accountable.听
To qualify for benefits like study permit prioritization, colleges and universities will be required to demonstrate their ability to:听
- Provide sufficient housing for international students
- Sustainably grow their international student enrollment听
- Offer adequate student support services
- Foster equity and diversity听
As part of his announcement, Minister Miller also emphasized the role of provincial governments in ensuring that each DLI adheres to current best practices, and communicated the importance of keeping students themselves at the heart of every decision-making process.听
Post-Graduation Work Permit Program Reforms
Finally, as part of this new package of reforms, IRCC also signalled their intention to review and update the popular . This program enables eligible international student graduates to stay and work in Canada for up to three years after completing their studies, and is considered an important potential pathway to permanent residency and citizenship.听
Minister Miller clarified that in order for Canada to grow responsibly, programs such as this must incentivize participants to pursue work in high-demand fields like the trades. Canada鈥檚 current labour shortage cannot be filled domestically, making international students and immigrants vital for Canada鈥檚 future.听
The exact changes to be made to the PGWP program are still unclear, but are likely to focus on specific high-demand fields. IRCC鈥檚 intention is to adapt the program to 听
At 天美麻豆, we鈥檙e committed to putting the needs of students first, and we鈥檙e glad to see the Canadian government doing the same. We hope these new measures will lead to positive change in the sector鈥攁nd we look forward to working with IRCC and our partners to create trust, transparency, and accountability throughout the international student recruitment and admissions process.听
Our team will continue to follow and report on these policy updates as they develop. For the most up-to-date information, .
