2024 Canada New Regulations for International Students: End of the “Muddling along” Era?

In 2024, international students in Canada have faced numerous challenges, with various restrictions continuously emerging. As the year draws to a close, the Canadian Immigration Department has introduced new regulations that make the situation for many international students even more difficult.

On December 3, 2024, the Canadian Immigration Department announced a significant update to its internal review process for educational institutions. This means that the department will now be able to request up-to-date information about international students at any time from Canadian learning institutions, ensuring stricter enforcement of student visa conditions.

In Canada, post-secondary institutions that are authorized to enroll international students are recognized as “Designated Learning Institutions” (DLIs). The Immigration Department has always worked closely with DLIs to maintain the integrity of Canada’s study-abroad system.

Starting November 8, 2024, staff within the Immigration Department began following a new set of guidelines (excluding DLIs in Quebec):

1. Verification of Letter of Acceptance (LOA)

DLIs are now required to carefully verify the authenticity of the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) submitted with study permit applications. This measure aims to eliminate fraudulent documents and create a fairer environment for legitimate applicants.

2. Biannual Registration and Attendance Reporting

DLIs are required to report the registration and attendance of international students to the Immigration Department twice a year, on March 1 and November 1. Failure to comply will result in a one-year ban on accepting international students. This regulation not only strengthens oversight of the schools' responsibilities but also protects the rights of international students.

3. Random Verification Mechanism

The Immigration Department may issue in-system messages to DLIs at any time to verify students' enrollment status and academic progress, ensuring that international students maintain valid status and meet the academic requirements of their study permit.

Important Notice:

If a DLI fails to comply with these regulations, the Immigration Department will revoke the institution’s authorization to admit international students, effectively suspending the school’s ability to issue study permits. This “suspension” will not affect students who were already granted study permits before the suspension, nor those who need to extend their permits, allowing them to continue their studies at that institution.

This makes it much harder for international students to “slack off” in Canada. The Immigration Department will now require every DLI to report the status of international students twice a year, including attendance, class skipping, assignment completion, academic progress, and grades. The department will use these reports to assess whether each student meets the basic conditions for maintaining a study permit, and will decide whether to cancel the study permit based on this information.

These reports, submitted by the institutions to the Immigration Department, will likely be kept in each international student’s file and may affect future applications for work permits after graduation, not to mention future immigration applications to Canada!

Key Points for International Students:

1. Maintain Full-time Status: International students must remain enrolled full-time throughout the validity of their study permit. Any interruption to studies may lead to a study permit cancellation or increased scrutiny by the Immigration Department.

2. Avoid Submitting False Documents: Submitting a fraudulent Letter of Acceptance (LOA) will result in an immediate cancellation of the study permit and could severely impact future visa or immigration applications.

3. Communicate with Schools and the Immigration Department: If academic progress is interrupted due to personal or family reasons, students must contact their school and the Immigration Department as soon as possible and provide supporting documentation to avoid unnecessary issues.

International students in Canada should stay vigilant and keep a close eye on these new regulations to ensure a smooth academic journey and progress toward their immigration goals!