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The Canadian government has declared significant changes to its International Student Program to protect prospective students from fraud and improve their experience while studying in Canada. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) minister has introduced a range of measures aimed at strengthening the integrity of Canada's international student program and safeguarding genuine students from fraudulent activities.

One of the primary changes is implementing an enhanced verification process set to begin on December 1, 2023. Post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLIs) will be mandated to directly verify the authenticity of every applicant's letter of acceptance with IRCC. This move is designed to prevent fraudulent letter-of-acceptance incidents and ensure that study permits are only issued in response to genuine letters of acceptance. The intention is to avoid problems some students encountered earlier in the year due to fraud investigations.

Additionally, IRCC plans to introduce a "recognized institution" framework to benefit post-secondary DLIs that maintain higher standards for services, support, and outcomes for international students. These institutions may receive advantages such as priority processing of study permits for their `applicants, starting in the fall semester of 2024.

Further measures include an upcoming assessment of the criteria for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program. Reforms will be introduced to better align the program with the needs of the Canadian labor market and regional and Francophone immigration goals.

These changes follow investigations into fraudulent admission letters, which prompted the establishment of an IRCC task force to collaborate with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in reviewing cases of affected students and graduates. The primary goal is to protect genuine students from the risk of removal from Canada. These measures are aimed at enhancing the safety and legitimacy of Canada's international student program while providing a favorable environment for legitimate international students.