IRCC Urges Indian Students to Resubmit Visas and Documents

Indian students in Canada have recently received emails from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requesting the resubmission of essential documents, including study permits, visas, and educational records such as marks and attendance. This development has caused concern among international students, many of whom possess valid visas with up to two years of remaining validity.

This action follows IRCC's announcement in November that it had uncovered over 10,000 fraudulent student acceptance letters this year, with approximately 80% linked to students from Gujarat and Punjab. In response, Canada's immigration authorities have intensified scrutiny, reviewing 500,000 documents in 2024 alone. Concerns have also been raised about certain educational institutions failing to properly verify acceptance letters.

The situation has elicited reactions from Canadian officials. Jenny Kwan, immigration critic for Canada's New Democratic Party, described the situation as "extremely alarming" and emphasized Canada's responsibility to protect international students who have been defrauded.

In addition to document verification, Canada has introduced tighter immigration policies to manage the influx of international students. Measures include stricter financial requirements and potential caps on student admissions. Notably, the Student Direct Stream (SDS) visa program, which expedited student visa applications, was discontinued last month. Furthermore, on October 24, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a cap of 395,000 permanent residents for 2025, down from 485,000 in 2024. Temporary immigrant numbers, including international students and foreign workers, are also set to decrease in the coming years.