- Audit currently in its planning phase as stakeholders applaud chance to prove sector’s integrity and rebuild public confidence after several years of rapid growth.
- Study permit caps expected to come under the review’s remit, as well as visa processing and other compliance measures.
- Audit comes as visa processing delays reach near-record highs, with students hailing from Africa the most likely to face lengthy waits or denials.
Canada’s federal auditor general has announced an audit of Canada’s international student program after years of rapid growth and recent policy turmoil impacting international higher education.
Universities Canada welcomed the review as “an opportunity to strengthen oversight, reinforce integrity and rebuild public confidence”, reiterating long-standing calls for greater collaboration between governments, institutions and industry.
In a broad sense, the review will amount to a value for money audit of Canada’s international education sector and can touch upon any aspect of the international student program.
The audit is currently in its planning phase, said the Office of the Auditor General, which expects to table the report in Parliament in 2026.
Stakeholders expect the audit to examine visa processing, compliance measures, and the relationship between federal and provincial governments, as well the effectiveness of recent policies including study permit caps and whether students are effectively transitioning to the workforce and contributing to the Canadian economy.
“Changes to the international student program were very politically motivated… this process is independent and impartial so a benefit of it could be to evaluate the changes without that political lens,” Chris Busch, assistant vice-president of enrolment management at the University of Windsor told The PIE News.
“I think most Canadians are open to this independent element. If I was in the IRCC offices, I might not be the friend of the auditor general, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” said Busch.
The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) welcomed the announcement and said it was pleased to provide insights as part of the process.
“This review presents an opportunity for Canada to think strategically about the future of this program and its capacity to attract the diversity of global talent that we will need to advance our global engagement objectives and deliver on Canada’s current ambitious economic goals,” CBIE president Larissa Bezo told The PIE.
“To these ends, we need a stable, responsible, ethical and sustainable approach to the International Student Program moving forward,” added Bezo.
A top priority of institutions and students will be a review into visa processing at the IRCC, with delays reaching near-peak levels despite volume being roughly a quarter of what it once was.
“We’ve been very surprised by a dramatic fall in the visa success rate in the past year, because if anything, you’d expect the applicant pool to have become stronger,” said Busch. “To me, that suggests there may be some things happening in the shadows”.
Currently, it is not uncommon for prospective international students to wait 18 weeks for their visa to be processed, with students from Africa the most likely to face delays and denials, said Busch, calling for an examination of biases in the system.
Changes to the international student program were very politically motivated… this process is independent and impartial
Chris Busch, University of Windsor
What’s more, the audit is likely to review the efficiency of manual processes such as the letter of offer verification by institutions, as well as the use of AI and technology by the IRCC.
While education is a provincial jurisdiction in Canada, the audit is carried out at the federal level. This means that it will not directly review university and college processes, but will focus on government frameworks, funding streams, and the effectiveness of federal immigration policies.
It comes after 18 months of policy changes including Canada’s study permit caps and changes to the post-graduation work visa to limit the “unsustainable” growth of international student numbers, which surpassed one million in 2023 and has increasingly been pulled into inflammatory public debates surrounding immigration.
“The recent issues making headlines have largely occurred outside this framework of quality and accountability,” Universities Canada said in a statement, referring to recent media reports of institutions engaging in fraud, offering fake degrees and providing substandard quality of services to international students.
It emphasised the “talent, fresh perspectives and billions to Canada’s economy” that international students bring, highlighting the “high academic standards” upheld by its member institutions.
The association echoed sector calls for the establishment of a pan-Canadian forum involving federal and provincial governments, employers, and post-secondary institutions to develop a clear immigration strategy that works for the economy, addresses labour shortages and “puts the needs of Canadians first”.
