Nigeria, India Lead As 50,000 International Students Fail To Enroll In Canadian Schools

Canada Faces Enrollment Crisis Among International Students

A recent report published in January 2025 has revealed a concerning trend—approximately 50,000 international students failed to register at their designated Canadian institutions despite arriving in the country during March and April of the same year.

Breakdown of Non-Enrolled Students

According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), these unregistered students accounted for 6.9% of the 717,539 international students being monitored at the time. The report highlights that:

India had the highest number, with 20,000 students not attending their designated schools in 2023.
Nigeria recorded 3,902 students who failed to enroll.
Ghana had 2,712 missing students from official enrollment records.

Meanwhile, 89.8% of international students (644,349) were confirmed as enrolled, while the status of 23,514 students remained unverified.

Factors Behind the Missing Enrollments

The report suggests multiple reasons why these students did not register at their intended institutions:

Many are working low-paying jobs to sustain themselves instead of attending school.
Some have fallen victim to fraudulent educational institutions that mislead them.
Others allegedly use Canadian study permits as a pathway to enter the United States illegally.

Government Response: Stricter Policies and Monitoring

To address the misuse of student permits, Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced stricter regulations in November 2023. These measures include:

Potential suspension of colleges and universities that fail to report on student compliance for up to a year.
Enhanced monitoring mechanisms to detect students who are not adhering to their study permits.
Stronger oversight on institutions to ensure accurate reporting of enrollments.

Canada’s Concern Over Visa Exploitation

Renée LeBlanc Proctor, a spokesperson for Minister Miller, highlighted that Canada is becoming increasingly aware of the exploitation of temporary resident visas, particularly study permits. She noted that organized smuggling networks and global migration crises have worsened the situation, making it imperative for the government to enforce stricter regulations.