In an effort to protect students from fraud and to make it easier for them to pursue an education in Canada, the Canadian government has announced changes to the program for overseas students.

According to media sources, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched a number of steps aimed at strengthening Canada’s foreign student program and improving the protection of genuine students from fraudulent operations.

According to the IRCC, the recently enhanced verification process aims to protect prospective students from fraudulent letter-of-acceptance scams and to keep them from running into problems similar to those that certain students experienced earlier this year as a result of fraud investigations. Moreover, it will guarantee that study permits are only issued in accordance with genuine letters of acceptance, according to the reports.

Post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLIs) will be required, as of December 1, 2023, to confirm each applicant’s acceptance letter directly with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The main goals of this updated verification procedure are to protect prospective students from fake acceptance letters and avoid circumstances like those that some students experienced earlier this year as a result of fraud investigations. Additionally, this policy guarantees that study permits are only awarded on the basis of valid acceptance letters.

The IRCC will introduce a “recognized institution” structure in time for the autumn semester of 2024. This framework is thought to benefit post-secondary DLIs that uphold higher standards for outcomes, services, and support for international students. According to the article, these DLIs will receive advantages like quicker processing of study permits for students planning to enroll at their school.

In order to better align the post-graduation work permit program with the needs of the Canadian labor market, as well as regional and Francophone immigration goals, the IRCC will be conducting an examination of the program’s criteria over the course of the next few months and implementing necessary adjustments.

According to the IRCC website, an IRCC task force was formed in June in response to investigations into fake acceptance letters. The task force will work with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to assess the cases of impacted students and graduates. It was further said that the main goal of this initiative was to shield legitimate students from deportation from Canada.