The Auditor General will audit the international student program due to controversy over the rapid influx of foreign students. A report is expected to be tabled in Parliament next year, according to the Globe and Mail.

International student numbers tripled to over one million in 2023, fueling record population growth that strained housing and healthcare services, as well as youth employment.

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The federal government, under Justin Trudeau, responded to criticism by capping study permits for two years, aiming to cut issuances by about a third in the first year.

On May 2, Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed his goal to cut temporary workers and international students to under 5% of Canada's population by late 2027 (currently 7%), citing it would "ease strains on housing, on public infrastructure and social services."

Canada's immigration system is in "total chaos," says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, with "fraud" taking over the temporary foreign worker and international student programs.

Conservatives pledge to return to "common sense immigration that puts Canadians first." pic.twitter.com/MEDSu6PLqQ

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 26, 2025

Concerns arose over the quality of education and institutions accepting the growing number of international students in Canada.

Colleges, especially private career colleges, increased foreign-student admissions due to higher international student tuition, which many paid hoping for permanent residency post-graduation.

The cap, among other measures, aims to cool Canada's "overheated" international student system and combat "diploma mills," according to former immigration minister Marc Miller.

Critics blamed the federal government for loosening rules, including lifting the cap on international student work hours, which contributed to an influx and helped businesses in a tight labour market.

New study permits dropped from 681,000 in 2023 to 516,000 last year. The government aims to issue 437,000 this year.

According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, of the more than 1,000,000 international students in the country, only 341,531 were attending Universities Canada-accredited schools.

MORE: https://t.co/N8CjLJJF3d pic.twitter.com/o1IjMoQP99

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 18, 2024

Canada issued 1,073,435 study permits to foreign students as of May 3, 2024, yet crucial details about their educational paths are not recorded.

The Department of Immigration doesn’t track if all permit holders remain in the country, nor student transfers between institutions.

Federal data shows 341,531 international students at Universities Canada-accredited schools, but no data exists for career colleges. Another 159,055 are enrolled in Canada’s K-12 system. 

Statistics Canada said one in five (19%) permit holders had no record of studying at a Canadian college or university.

Meanwhile, stricter permanent residency rules, the study permit cap, tightened work hour limits, and spousal work permit restrictions, are linked to a rise in asylum-seeking students.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller admits fake asylum seekers are abusing Canada's generosity, "particularly given the volume of people that are looking to come to Canada. It is a privilege to come to Canada, it is not a right."https://t.co/TXq29qhTJo pic.twitter.com/O97gjpT80p

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 18, 2024

Federal data shows a record 20,245 asylum claims were made by international students last year, a number expected to be surpassed in 2025. In the first three months of this year, international students filed 5,500 asylum claims, marking a 22% increase compared to the same period last year.

Then-Minister Miller claimed last September 18 that most first-year students claiming asylum do so under false pretenses, emphasizing that coming to Canada "is a privilege, not a right." He earlier said that students cannot seek asylum over a poor education system.

Miller accused colleges, specifically Ontario’s Conestoga and Seneca, of suspicious practices in accepting foreign students who then sought asylum. Conestoga (720) and Seneca (650) had the most international students filing refugee claims last year.

Asylum seekers in Canada must prove a well-founded fear of persecution if returned home, with acceptance rates differing by country of origin. India is among the countries from which most claimants originate, according to the Department of Immigration.

Since 2018, 36,075 foreign students have claimed asylum in Canada, with 32,855 referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Asylum claims by international students surged 1,500% over the past five years, from 1,515 in 2018 to 25,465 in 2023.