Approximately 47,000 foreign students may be in Canada illegally, having violated visa terms, says the head of migration integrity. 

IRCC representative Aiesha Zafar disclosed to a House of Commons committee that 47,175 foreign students may be "non-compliant" by not attending classes.

Zafar's response followed Conservative pressure regarding the IRCC's ability to "track and remove" students violating their visas.

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Colleges selling international students access to Canada: Nitin Chopra

Colleges aren't only to blame, Nitin Chopra told The @EzraLevant Show. “It is the student also who wants to get admission in that college who allows them to work. All of the parties are involved in this,” he… pic.twitter.com/dnG9HvPPos

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) December 4, 2024

The IRCC identified India as a primary source of fraudulent immigration into Canada and a top country for identified fraud, according to Zafar's response to Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner.

“What specific countries has IRCC identified frauds from? Is there a predominant country?” asked Garner. “India is one of the top countries,” replied Zafar.

The IRCC conducts bi-annual checks with “Designated Learning Institutions” to monitor "potentially non-genuine students," encompassing all colleges, universities, and institutions enrolling foreign nationals.

The International Student Compliance Regime, implemented in 2014, aimed to identify fraudulent students and questionable schools, aiding provinces.

Mark Carney claims the Liberals will reduce immigration to "sustainable levels."

The prime minister goes on to praise Canada's free speech and diversity while urging Canadians abroad to return home and build their lives. pic.twitter.com/UeUxqqxg7s

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 2, 2025

Fast track ten years later and an IRCC report from 2024 indicates that student non-attendance reports are added to their file, potentially impacting future immigration applications. Non-compliant visa holders may be referred to the Canadian Border Services Agency for enforcement by their inland investigation team.

It also states the IRCC has no recourse if a school fails to submit compliance updates on its students. 

IRCC data revealed that 50,000 foreign students with visas didn't attend their registered schools in spring 2024, representing 6.9% of all international students entering Canada.

Indian nationals comprised nearly 20,000 student no-shows, followed by 4,279 Chinese students.

The CBSA won't release data on how many international students and temporary foreign workers leave Canada after their permits expire, despite confirming it collects entry and exit information.

READ MORE: https://t.co/DfxBg7EBKm pic.twitter.com/ZhEhYfuU8F

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 6, 2025

The Liberal government is currently implementing significant cuts to both temporary and permanent immigration, with student visas facing the most substantial reductions.

The IRCC approved 36,417 study permits in the first six months of 2025, a decrease of roughly 10,000 from 125,034 in the same period of 2024. 

Rempel Garner criticized the influx of temporary foreign visa holders during housing and healthcare crises. On June 9, Immigration Minister Lena Diab announced a goal of “sustainable immigration” by decreasing temporary residents.

The IRCC, which publishes detailed arrival numbers, doesn't track how many temporary residents leave Canada after their visas expire and offered no comment. Meanwhile, the 'non-permanent resident' population has grown from 743,000 in 2016 to nearly 3 million.

At the time, Diab stated the government depends on foreigners to voluntarily leave Canada when their status expires, in response to Rempel Garner's questions about removal numbers.

“To be clear, when people’s visas expire they are expected to leave the country,” Diab said, noting the Canada Border Services Agency is in charge of removals. Last month, Juno News reported that CBSA withheld data on foreign student departures.