Nigerians among top offenders for study permit non-compliance in Canada

A report says 49,676 international students issued study permits for Canada in the spring of 2024 failed to report at their designated tertiary institutions.

Nigerian students, immigration data showed, account for 3,902 of such absentee cases at a non-compliance rate of 10.7 percent between March, April, and May 2024.

Data sourced from the IRCC, a Canadian government agency that oversees immigration, refugees, and citizenship matters, was cited as showing that 6.9 percent of all international students who were issued study permits were reported as non-compliant.

At the top of the list is India with 19,582 non-compliance cases (5.4 percent), followed by China with 4,279 cases (6.4 percent).

In the third place is Nigeria where, out of 30,920 study permit issuances, 3,902 cases were a no-show while another 1,675 had their status unreported.

Other countries with notable non-compliance rates are Ghana with 31.1 percent and the DRC with 34.8 percent.

Immigration consultants, reports show, are citing several potential reasons for the high number of non-compliant students.

There are fears that some students may be using Canadian study permits as a way to subsequently gain access to the US borders.

There are also concerns that some students remain in Canada to work or seek permanent residency instead of studying as planned.

The office of Marc Miller, the Canadian immigration minister, said strict regulations are required to curb study permit non-compliance.

“Canada is aware of increased exploitation of temporary resident visas, including student permits,” said his spokesperson Renée Proctor.

It said possible suspension of the operations of colleges and universities that fail to report on study permit compliance may be necessary.