Canada's Auditor General told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration that IRCC successfully reduced the number of new study permits issued under recent International Student Program reforms but failed to address several critical integrity weaknesses.

According to the audit, more than 153,000 potential cases of study permit non-compliance were identified in 2023 and 2024, yet only about 4,000 investigations were launched.

The report also found that 800 cases of fraud were detected after study permits had already been approved, but no follow-up action was taken. In many cases, those individuals later applied for other temporary or permanent immigration programs, with more than half of those applications ultimately approved.

The Auditor General called for stronger risk management, more effective fraud investigations, and better oversight to protect the integrity of Canada's international student system.

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