The international education world is changing at a rapid speed and so are the ways, the immigration department is operating.

Amidst all this, we keep hearing a lot of news. In the mid of March 2023, the above news made headlines in the international education industry.
Every news channel and almost everyone else associated with the industry; be it the recruiting agencies, students or parents, were talking about this. Even though the news claimed the number of deported students to be 700; however, the exact number is still unclear.
This incident has shaken the confidence of the consumer in the Canadian Education export industry. As per the Study permit requirements of R219 of Canada’s Immigration, Refugee and Protection Regulations ( IRPR ) , a Letter of Acceptance is a main requirement of eligibility, however, despite presenting false documentation in applications, it seems a huge volume of study visas were granted by the immigration. Even though this discovery was made much later after the initial study visas were granted, during the post-graduate work permit of permanent residency applications were reviewed , but this lapse at the end of
IRCC raise a lot of questions which are still unanswered – What is the exact number of these students? Why did this happen? What will happen to the dreams of those students who have worked so hard and fought all odds to reach their final destination of filling for their permanent residency in the country and are now left in dismay?
This also raises a question for the students who opt for international degrees. Applying for a study visa is the first step toward the final dream of attaining a better future, however, in the entire process, they tend to forget that the information a student is submitting in the first study visa application is the basis of a case officer’s final decision of all their future applications. This information is retained by the department and is stored in their database for all further applications hence it is presumed that the information an applicant provided is correct and true. However, if it has a lie / false information, it shall follow back in future with its consequences. It’s like that KARMIC cycle which comes back to you sooner or later.
As someone associated with the international education industry, I have some views that may be helpful.

Education Consultants/ Agencies :

All Education Consultants/recruiters must be clear with their commitment towards the industry. It’s their primary responsibility to control the damage arising from all such incidents. The consultant acts as a facilitator for the whole process between the student and the institution; hence the consultant MUST introduce a collaborative review process wherein complete transparency is provided throughout the whole process of guiding them through the admission and visa process for each country.

Fair recruitment procedures and policies must be promoted and practiced by the agencies involved because they are acting as a guide for the students; thereby avoiding any misleading information/lies.

Aspiring students:

Students must be more aware than ever before. Like mentioned above, It is important for them to check the information being submitted on their behalf. Some students feel that the ONLY Information being submitted at the embassy is important and that is where they miss the whole point . That’s a big mistake on their part.
As a student, one must be responsible to provide the most accurate and true information at every step involved; be it their admission process with the institution of their choice OR the respective embassy wherein they will apply for their study visa application, each is VITAL.
The student must retain a copy of the application form being submitted at the institution even if they are availing the services of an education consultant. Also, they must ensure to thoroughly check every personal information in the application forms like their phone number, email id, their educational and professional credentials. Students must also be aware that each institution constantly communicates with its students at each step of the admission process and hence the first alarm must ring if they are not getting any communication on their email ids.
The same process must adhere till a final outcome on their application is made by the respective high commissions on their study visa application. You must remember- Your application, your control. In the end, we all must understand that applying for a study visa and studying in their dream destination is a pleasant journey which every student wishes to experience. There are policies and procedures in place for safeguarding the rights of international students by countries. The students must ensure that they are well aware of those policy guidelines. a lot of countries are making efforts to educate prospective students and their families
however it is the responsibility of the student as well to select an education consultant who has experience in the recruitment process. They must have all the requisite licenses and certifications of the agencies.
We all are the stakeholders in the industry and it is our collective effort to be more responsible, more aware and more transparent with each other so that incidents like these must be avoided.