Is Canada making it harder for international students to study here?

Summary

In 2024, Canada has introduced significant changes to its international student program, aiming to enhance integrity and control. New policies include a Letter of Acceptance verification system to combat fraudulent documents, mandatory reporting by Designated Learning Institutions on student status, potential suspensions for non-compliance, and a requirement for students to apply for a new study permit when transferring institutions. While some changes protect genuine students, others raise concerns about privacy and increased hurdles, making the study experience in Canada more challenging but still valuable for those with genuine educational intentions.

Takeaways

• 📚 Canada is considering significant changes to its international student program for 2024, impacting both prospective and current students.
• 🔍 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is implementing a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) verification system to prevent fraudulent admission letters and protect students.
• 🔄 IRCC has reported success with the LOA verification system, with nearly 162,000 LOAs reviewed, identifying over 9,000 potentially fraudulent or cancelled LOAs.
• 🏫 Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) are now required to report on their students' status, including whether they are actively pursuing their studies, which may impact study permit conditions.
• 🚫 Non-compliance by DLIs in reporting can lead to suspensions of up to one year, affecting their ability to admit new international students and damaging their reputation.
• 🤔 The new changes raise concerns about privacy and the potential for over-reporting by DLIs to protect their revenue.
• 🔄 Students transferring to a new DLI will need to submit a new study permit application, aiming to prevent system exploitation but also creating logistical challenges.
• 🏛️ The changes aim to manage the allocation of LOAs and provincial attestation letters more effectively, ensuring schools have better control over student numbers.
• 🚷 The proposed changes reflect a shift in Canada's approach to international students, moving from a lax system to a more stringent one, possibly influenced by the political climate.
• 🤷‍♂️ The speaker is of mixed opinion on the changes, seeing both the necessity and the burden they impose on genuine students, suggesting a balance is needed between system integrity and student needs.
• 🌐 The final verdict on whether Canada is making it harder for international students to study is a 'yes,' but the speaker suggests that genuine students should still consider Canada, viewing permanent residency opportunities as a bonus.

Q & A

What is the main concern discussed in the video script about international students in Canada?

The main concern is whether Canada is making it harder for international students to study there, with a focus on the significant policy changes and updates in 2024 affecting international students.

What does the term 'DLI' refer to in the context of the video?

DLI stands for Designated Learning Institutions, which in this context refers specifically to postsecondary institutions and their international students.

What is the purpose of implementing a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) verification system?

The LoA verification system aims to prevent the use of fake LoAs by students or recruitment agents, ensuring the integrity of the study permit process.

How successful has the LoA verification process been since its launch in December 2023?

The LoA verification process has reviewed almost 162,000 LoAs, with 142,000 validated directly by DLIs and nearly 9,000 found to be fraudulent or cancelled.

What is the second major change proposed by IRCC for international students?

The second change requires DLIs to report on their students' acceptance, current status, and whether they are actively pursuing their studies to IRCC.

What could be the consequence for students if their DLI reports to IRCC that they are not actively pursuing their studies?

Students could be found to be breaching their study permit conditions, potentially leading to being asked to leave Canada.

What is the third proposed change concerning conditions and suspensions for non-complying DLIs?

IRCC may impose suspensions on DLIs for up to one year if they fail to provide requested reports, during which the DLI cannot accept new international students and is placed on a public suspension list.

What is the fourth change requiring students to submit a new study permit application when transferring to a new DLI?

This change aims to prevent students from exploiting the system by transferring to schools with higher approval rates or cheaper tuition, ensuring commitment to their chosen schools.

What are the potential negative impacts of the proposed changes on genuine international students?

Genuine students may face more logistical challenges, additional paperwork, and potential hurdles in transferring schools for legitimate reasons due to the new stringent measures.

Is it still worth studying in Canada considering the recent changes?

For genuine students, studying in Canada can still be worthwhile, but those using education as a pathway to permanent residency might find the increased risks and complexities less appealing.

What is the speaker's final stance on the proposed changes to the international student program in Canada?

The speaker has mixed feelings, favoring the LoA verification system but expressing concerns about the other changes, particularly regarding privacy and the potential punitive measures against DLIs.

Outlines

00:00

📚 New International Student Policies in Canada

The video discusses the significant changes proposed by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for international students in 2024. The main focus is on four major policy updates: the implementation of a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) verification system to prevent fraudulent admission letters, the requirement for Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) to report on student status, conditions and suspensions for non-compliant DLIs, and the necessity for students to apply for a new study permit when switching DLIs. The presenter explains the implications of these changes and their impact on genuine students and the integrity of the international student program.

05:03

🔍 Scrutinizing International Student Compliance

This paragraph delves into the specifics of the changes, highlighting the LoA verification system's success in identifying fraudulent documents. It also addresses concerns about DLIs reporting on student compliance, which could lead to breaches of study permit conditions and potential requests for students to leave Canada. The presenter expresses reservations about the privacy implications of these reports and the potential for increased student departures. Additionally, the paragraph covers the consequences for DLIs that fail to report, including suspension and public listing, which could harm the institution's reputation and revenue.

10:03

🤔 Balancing Student Integrity with System Needs

The final paragraph examines the last proposed change, requiring students to apply for a new study permit when transferring to a new DLI. The presenter explores the rationale behind this policy from both the school and student perspectives, noting its potential to prevent system abuse while acknowledging the increased logistical challenges for students with legitimate transfer reasons. The video concludes with a summary of the presenter's stance on each change and reflects on whether Canada is becoming more difficult for international students, concluding that while some measures are seen as necessary, others may be overly stringent and driven by political climate rather than system improvement.

Keywords

💡International Students

International students are individuals who leave their home country to pursue education in a foreign country. In the context of the video, they are the main subject of discussion, as the script addresses the challenges and policy changes they face in studying in Canada. The video mentions how recent updates and policy changes have specifically impacted this group, highlighting their importance to the theme.

💡Canada

Canada is the destination country for the international students discussed in the video. It is significant as the country that has made policy changes affecting the ease with which international students can study there. The script mentions the country's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as the authority making these changes.

💡IRCC

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the Canadian government department responsible for immigration matters, including the policies that affect international students. The video discusses several changes made by IRCC that could make it harder for international students to study in Canada, such as the implementation of a new Letter of Acceptance (LOA) verification system.

💡Letter of Acceptance (LOA)

A Letter of Acceptance (LOA) is a document issued by an educational institution to a prospective student confirming their acceptance into a program. The video explains that IRCC is implementing a verification system for LOAs to prevent fraudulent use and protect students from scams, which is a key change discussed in the script.

💡Designated Learning Institutions (DLI)

Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) are educational institutions in Canada that have been approved by the government to host international students. The script mentions that DLIs will have new obligations, such as reporting on their students' status and potentially facing suspensions for non-compliance, which are significant changes affecting both the institutions and the students.

💡Study Permit

A study permit is a document allowing a non-Canadian to study in Canada. The video discusses the process of obtaining and maintaining a study permit, including the new requirement for students to submit a new study permit application when transferring to a new DLI, which adds an additional layer of complexity for international students.

💡Policy Changes

Policy changes refer to modifications made by the government or other authorities that affect regulations or procedures. The video script delves into several policy changes made by IRCC that impact international students, such as the LOA verification system and new reporting requirements for DLIs.

💡Fraudulent LOAs

Fraudulent LOAs are fake acceptance letters used by unscrupulous agents to deceive students and authorities. The video explains how the new LOA verification system aims to detect and prevent the use of such fraudulent documents, which is a critical aspect of protecting the integrity of the student program.

💡Suspensions

In the context of the video, suspensions refer to the penalties that IRCC can impose on DLIs that fail to comply with new reporting requirements. A suspension can last up to one year and includes being listed on a public 'naughty list,' which can significantly impact the institution's reputation and operations.

💡Transferring DLIs

Transferring DLIs refers to the process of an international student moving from one educational institution to another. The video discusses a proposed change requiring students to submit a new study permit application when transferring, which is intended to prevent students from exploiting the system but also adds logistical challenges.

💡System Integrity

System integrity refers to the maintenance of honesty and fairness within a system or process. The video script discusses changes made by IRCC that are intended to protect the integrity of the international student program in Canada, such as preventing fraudulent activities and ensuring genuine students are not taken advantage of.

Highlights

Canada is considering making it harder for international students to study in the country with several policy changes in 2024.

IRCC has made significant changes affecting both prospective and current international students.

Four major changes are being discussed: implementing an LoA verification system, requiring DLI reporting, setting conditions and suspensions for non-compliant DLIs, and requiring new study permits for DLI switches.

The LoA verification system aims to prevent the use of fake acceptance letters by students and recruitment agents.

IRCC has successfully validated nearly 142,000 LoAs and identified over 9,000 likely fraudulent or canceled ones since December 2023.

New requirements for DLIs to report on student status could lead to breaches of study permit conditions and potential deportation.

Concerns about privacy arise as DLIs are expected to indirectly share students' personal information with IRCC.

IRCC may impose suspensions on DLIs that fail to report, affecting their ability to accept new international students.

Suspensions could lead to significant financial and reputational damage for DLIs.

Students transferring to a new DLI will need to submit a new study permit application to prevent system exploitation.

The new transfer process aims to better manage the allocation of acceptance letters and provincial attestation letters.

Some students may be discouraged from transferring to better schools due to the increased application process.

The video presenter has mixed feelings about the proposed changes, seeing both necessity and potential burdens.

The changes reflect a shift in the political climate in Canada, with growing sentiment against students impacting policy.

For genuine students, studying in Canada can still be worthwhile, but the increased complexities might make it less appealing for those using education as a pathway to permanent residency.

The presenter encourages viewers to consider opportunities for permanent residency as a bonus rather than the primary goal.

The video invites current and prospective students to share their thoughts on the changes in the comments section.

Transcripts

today we'll dive deep into answering

this Burning question on everyone's mind

is Canada making it harder for

international students to study here

2024 has been a whirlwind for

international students like never before

have we seen such a flurry of updates

policy changes and even media releases

all focused on the international student

program if you've been following the

news or perhaps following this channel

if you know what I mean you'll know that

ircc has made significant changes for

both perspective and current

International students in Canada I've

covered some of these changes in a

previous video but brace ourselves

because there's more ircc is currently

discussing four major changes to the

international student program and these

changes are one implementing a letter of

acceptance or Loa verification system

two requiring DLI to report on their

students three setting conditions and

suspensions for non-complying DLI and

four requiring students to submit a new

study permit if they want to switch DLI

I'll be breaking these new changes down

for you in a moment and explain why

Canada is moving towards this direction

at the end of this video we'll revisit

this initial question and explain what

led us to our final answer so let's get

into it and see what it all means for

you before we begin when I mention dlis

or designated learning institutions and

international students I'm only

referring to postsecondary dlis and also

postsecondary International students so

just keep that in mind with that let's

discuss the first change which is the

implementation of a new Loa or letter of

acceptance verification system this

system includes a portal where DLI has

to confirm a student's personal

information the main goal of the system

is to prevent students or Shady student

recruitment Agents from using fake loas

or letters of Acceptance Now there have

been many cases where agents produce

fake loas for students who don't know

any better these students somehow get

their study permits approved come to

Canada and then find out that they have

to apply to another school so with this

new Loa verification system it can

easily detect a fake Loa to support this

ircc recently shared numbers

highlighting the success of its Loa

verification process which was launched

in December 2023 to protect students

from study permit scabs to date almost

162,000 loas have been reviewed by ircc

with close to 142,000 validated directly

by the DL I however nearly 9,000 loas

did not match those issued by dlis

indicating that they were likely

fraudulent or had already been cancelled

before the student applied for a study

permit in Canada this shows why it's so

important to keep verifying loas as it

helps prevent scams that rely on fake

admission letters to get stud permits it

also removes a loophole that allows

agents to take advantage of unsuspecting

students overall I think this new change

is great because it's it protects

genuine students and keeps the Integrity

of the international student program

intact the second change by ircc

requires designated learning

institutions to report on their students

this means diis must inform ircc about

whether a student has been accepted into

their program their current status and

if they're actively pursuing their

studies now actively pursuing your

studies means being a full-time student

making progress towards completing your

program and not taking any authorized

leave now consider this scenario if your

school reports to ircc that you are not

actively pursuing your studies it could

mean that you are breaching your study

permit conditions ircc might use this

report to issue breaches to these

students and potentially asking them to

leave Canada however I feel this method

allows ircc to obtain a student's

personal information indirectly through

the school rather than directly from the

student schools should protect their

students personal information

and obtain their consent before sharing

it with ircc following this change I

expect a significant increase in the

number of students being asked to leave

Canada overall I am not in favor of this

change due to concerns about protecting

students private information to navigate

this I think schools May likely make

students sign a consent to release

information form at the time of their

enrollment now if you're a genuine

student you shouldn't be too worried

about this but if you're not well now is

the time to start taking your studies

more seriously now the Third change

concerns setting conditions and imposing

suspensions on designated learning

institutions ircc may now require DLI to

report on various matters related to

their students these reports can include

information on whether the student is in

the correct program their enrollment

status if the student is actively

pursuing their studies or any other

information requested by ircc if a DLI

fails to provide the requested report

ircc can impose a suspension on the

institution for up to one year yikes

during this suspension period the DLI

will not be permitted to accept new

international students Additionally the

suspended DLI will be placed on a public

suspension list which I like to call the

naughty list and students who are

accepted into this suspended DLI will

have their steady permit applications

returned the potential for a suspension

of up to one year is massive I mean

schools will lose Revenue if put on the

naughty list to make matters worse the

DLI will also be publicly listed as

suspended which could damage the

school's reputation overall I believe

this change could lead to some drastic

consequences and I am not in favor of it

reason I say this is it could push

schools to report or even over report

just to safeguard their revenue stream

now the last change requires students to

submit a new study permit advocation

ation when transferring to a new DLI

while this may seem logistically

stressful at first don't worry students

can still attend the new DLI while their

study permit application is being

processed to understand the change let's

look at it from both the schools and the

students perspectives to get the full

picture from the school side one reason

behind this move is to allow schools to

better manage the allocation of letters

of acceptance and provincial attestation

letters you see when students transfer

between schools or provinces it actually

complicates the balance of student

numbers so by making the transfer

process more stringent schools can

verify and manage these allocations more

effectively now from the students side

this change aims to prevent students

from gaming the system you see some

students initially enroll in top schools

with high study permit approval rates

and then transfer to a cheaper or less

prestigious school to save on tuition

conversely others start at schools with

easier admission requirements and then

later transfer to better institutions to

obtain a more reputable degree so by

making the transfer process more

complicated the new rule addresses these

tactics ensuring that students commit to

their chosen schools now while I like

the idea this change is also a

double-edged sword and that's because

genuine students who may want to

transfer for legitimate reasons such as

seeking better educational opportunities

will now face more logistical headaches

and paperwork and with that it'll be sad

to see these students burden bu

additional hurdles if this change goes

through so I wonder how ircc plans to

maneuver these challenges to balance the

Integrity of the system while also

meeting the needs of genuine students

overall I'm 50/50 on this um I think

this change is quite burdensome but I

also see why it's necessary now let's

summarize how I feel about each of the

proposed changes so first the Loa

verification system honestly I'm in

favor of it I think it's a good way to

stop students and shade the agents from

exploiting the system second requiring

students to submit a new study permit

application when transferring

dlis I'm 50/50 on this I still much

prefer the old system of notifying ircc

about the change I mean some genuine

students may be discouraged by the

thought of receiving a refusal and might

just stay put in a less desired School

third requiring DLI to report on their

students I'm not in favor of this it's

giving police St Vibes personally I

don't want a school to continuously

monitor my attendance status or whether

I'm taking the required number of

classes and then using that information

to potentially ask me to leave Canada no

I think there's a better way to go about

it without the threat of punishment

finally imposing suspensions on

non-compliant

deis again I'm not in favor of it it

feels too punitive and some dlis might

prioritize their revenue over the best

interests of their students with that

let's go back to answer the question is

Canada making it harder for

international students to study here the

answer is a resounding yes given the

previous changes and the proposed new

changes students are now facing more

difficulties I mean first they have to

navigate the complexities of applying to

study in Canada and secondly even when

they're already here they are

encountering additional hurdles but is

Canada doing this within

reason for me the answer is both yes and

no honestly some of these changes have

more to do with control than actually

improving the system previously people

complained that the system was too LAX

allowing anyone to study in Canada but

now ircc seems to be swinging to The

Other Extreme with these stringent new

measures I think irc's actions appear to

be more aligned with the political

climate in Canada where there is a

growing sentiment against students due

to issues like the housing prices so I

guess the next follow-up question that

you may have in mind is is it still

worth it to study in Canada and we've

answered that in detail already in

another video but let me sum it up here

the short answer comes down to your

intentions for those who genuinely want

to study in Canada it can still be

worthwhile however for those looking to

use the education route as a pathway to

permanent residency The increased risks

and complexities might make it less

appealing so if you are a genuine

student consider any opportunity for

permanent residency as a bonus not the

primary goal anyway I hope this video

was helpful and insightful and I have a

question for you guys for current

students in Canada how do you feel about

these

changes and for those of you planning to

study here how do you feel about

studying in Canada now as always your

thoughts are welcomed in the comments

and remember information is power so if

you found this video valuable please

share it to someone who could benefit

from this all right guys thanks for

watching stay safe and be kind and as

always I'll see you in the next video

cheers