The Canadian Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, recently announced that international students with fake post-secondary education letters of acceptance will not face deportation. He further added, “Many of these international students sincerely came to Canada to pursue their studies at some of our world-class institutions and were duped by bad actors.”
However, individuals need to prove their intention is genuine and that they are not linked to fraud. He said any student who is not found to be involved in fraud will not face deportation. According to reports, 700 students from India were given fake admission letters by agents to study in Canada. Although the government is aware of limited cases, a larger number of affected students can be found through investigation.
Fraser stated that 82 students were referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada process, of which 25 are still under investigation. Additionally, 57 students have received deportation orders, and eight students have already been deported.
There were students who used the fake letters to enter Canada, and later agents revealed to them that their program was full. These students were then directed to an alternate school. Fraser clarified that any students who were unaware of the fake documents will not face deportation. The government is also issuing temporary resident permits to these individuals. However, if a student is aware of the fraudulent documents, they will be deported and face the full consequences of Canadian law.
Previously, the Immigration and Refugee Board, a government agency involved in immigration matters, determined that students could be deported even if they were unaware of the fraud.
According to the minister, officials from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will closely collaborate with designated learning institutions, which are educational institutions recognized by the government, to better identify and combat fraud.