Conservatives Demand Accountability After Auditor General's International…
The Conservative Party is calling for immediate accountability measures following the Auditor General's report on Canada's international student program, released May 26, 2026. The report identified significant oversight failures in how Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) manages the program, which brought over 800,000 international students to Canada in 2023.
The Auditor General's findings mark the first comprehensive federal audit of the international student system since the program underwent major expansion in the past decade. Previous reviews focused on individual institutions rather than IRCC's federal-level controls, leaving gaps in how the department verifies designated learning institutions and monitors student compliance with visa conditions.
The audit found IRCC lacks adequate systems to track whether international students remain enrolled at their designated institutions after arrival, whether they work beyond permitted hours, and whether institutions maintain the standards required to host foreign students. The report also noted delays in processing study permit applications, with some students waiting over six months for decisions despite IRCC's stated service standard of 60 days for straightforward cases. The Auditor General identified weaknesses in how IRCC shares information with provincial education authorities, who regulate colleges and universities but depend on federal immigration data to enforce compliance.
"The government has failed to protect the integrity of our immigration system," the Conservative immigration critic stated in response to the report.
The findings directly affect current international students on study permits, prospective students applying from countries with high refusal rates including India and Nigeria, and designated learning institutions that could face stricter federal oversight. Post-graduation work permit holders may also see changes if IRCC tightens verification requirements for the institutions they attended. The report comes as IRCC faces pressure to reduce temporary resident numbers while maintaining Canada's reputation as a destination for legitimate students.
International students currently in Canada should verify their institution remains on the official list of designated learning institutions and ensure they comply with work hour restrictions — 20 hours per week during academic sessions, full-time during scheduled breaks. Students planning to apply for post-graduation work permits must confirm their program meets IRCC's eligibility criteria, as the department may increase scrutiny of credentials from institutions flagged in provincial reviews.