Immigration department implementing fixes after audit flags “critical weaknesses” in student visa oversight

Canada’s immigration department is implementing an action plan after a federal audit found significant gaps in how it monitored and investigated problematic international student visas.

According to a report by Auditor General Karen Hogan published earlier this year, thousands of student visa files flagged as potentially non-compliant were not fully investigated. The report identified what it described as “critical weaknesses” in oversight within Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Deputy Minister Ted Gallivan, who assumed the role last month, said the department is taking steps to address those findings, including outreach to temporary visa holders as their permits approach expiry. He said the department plans to remind individuals of their legal obligations and potential penalties for overstaying, which can include a five-year ban on re-entry to Canada.

Gallivan said he has not yet received a clear explanation for why roughly 800 student visa cases involving suspected fraud or misrepresentation were not investigated between 2018 and 2023. He confirmed that an internal response plan is now underway, with full implementation targeted by the end of 2026.

Hogan’s report concluded the department already has the tools required to investigate and act on problematic cases, but said those tools were not consistently used.