Genuine Canadian international students in fake acceptance letters scandal will not be expelled
Canada’s Immigration Minister has announced special measures to help genuine international students who are part of a scandal involving fake acceptance letters at Canadian universities.
About 700 candidates were expelled after it was found that letters had been used to support their applications Study permit were fraudulent.
But a statement from Sean Fraser on Wednesday gave the group, which is mainly from India’s Punjab region, a reprieve – but only if they were genuine candidates.
“Many of these international students sincerely came to Canada to continue their studies at some of our world-class institutions and were duped by bad actors who claimed to help them through their immigration application process,” said Fraser.
However, Fraser also said Canadian authorities knew that not all of the applicants in the group were genuine.
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“Other foreigners had no intention of pursuing higher education and used fraudulent acceptance letters to take advantage of Canada’s immigration system,” he said.
“Within this cohort of individuals, some have been involved in organized crime.”
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada officials will work with the Canada Border Services Agency to identify the candidates who came to Canada to study and those who wanted to scam the system.
“I want to make it clear that international students who are not found to be involved in fraud will not be expelled,” said Fraser.
Those found to have come to Canada with “a genuine intent to study and with no knowledge of the use of fraudulent documentation” will be granted temporary residency using Fraser’s powers under the Immigration Refugee Protection Act.
Those candidates will also avoid the five-year ban usually imposed in cases of misrepresentation. Interim TRPs will also be issued as individual cases are reviewed.
Designated Learning Institution
Applicants will need an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution to support their study permit application. A DLI is a college or university approved by a provincial or territorial government to receive international students.
Fraser says IRCC is working even more closely with DLIs and other officials “to better detect and combat fraud and maintain the integrity of our immigration programs.”
“We are taking every opportunity to crack down on dishonest and fraudulent advisers who attempt to abuse the Canadian immigration system,” he said.
He also called on candidates to play their part in the process.
“All applicants should continue to ensure that before applying for a study permit, they do their research, have a letter of acceptance from a DLI and refer to the official website for information on our programs,” he said.
“If you believe you have been scammed by an unscrupulous advisor, we encourage you to report the fraud.”
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The immigration advisory industry is self-regulated through the College of Immigration and Citizenship Counselors.
However, the system has often been found to be ineffective, with unscrupulous “ghost” agents regularly falling through the cracks. This last case is just one of many.
As early as 2017, a parliamentary committee report urged the Canadian government to disband the self-regulatory body. Had Ottawa followed this advice, such cases could have been avoided.
Candidates are strongly advised to hire a lawyer to assist them with their immigration application. Lawyers’ conduct is regulated by provincial agencies in Canada, which means that any irregularities will be held accountable.
