The Canadian government has announced that a federal audit will be carried out into the country’s international student program, after recent bouts of policy changes disrupting years of steady growth in the sector.
The Office of the Auditor General shared that the audit is currently in the planning stages, with the report to be formally presented to Parliament in 2026.
This audit comes in the heels of significant student migration changes in recent years, following Canada’s study permit caps impacting international students since 2024. Stakeholders expect that the outcomes and effectiveness of these study permit caps will be on the agenda, exploring whether the country has been successful in drawing the right-fit student talent in their aftermath, and whether these graduates are positively contributing to the Canadian economy.
Additionally, the current state of visa processing is also expected to come under examination. In recent years, despite a sheer drop in the volume of applications, the visa success rate continues to suffer from high refusal rates and visa delays.
Canadian universities and other international higher education stakeholders, including Universities Canada, are optimistic that the audit will highlight the shortcomings of current policies and help establish a strategic framework that continues to welcome the right-fit global talent that Canada is seeking to propel the country’s economic goals and global engagement objectives.
