Canada announces reforms to prevent fraud in Letters of Acceptance for foreign students
By Bruce Allen In Canada Immigration NewsOn October 27, 2023, new Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller announced plans to prevent the issuance of fraudulent “Letters of Acceptance” for foreign students. In recent years, numerous prospective students were issued fraudulent acceptance letters through unscrupulous immigration “consultants.” In the majority of cases the students were not aware the letters were fraudulent, but then faced deportation after arrival in Canada. Beginning December 1, 2023, all post-secondary educational institutions will be required to confirm every applicant’s letter of acceptance directly with IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada). This means all genuine letters of acceptance will be verified by IRCC. Minister Miller also announced two more changes in Canada’s rules for foreign students that are under development:
- By the fall semester of 20244, IRCC will classify certain schools as “recognized institutions,” based on meeting superior standards for services, support and outcomes for international students. These schools will benefit from priority processing of study permits.
- Canada will also complete an assessment of the Post Graduate Work Permit program to “better calibrate it to the needs of the Canadian labour market.”
