Question Period Note - Refusal of International Students from Africa

Date: August 28, 2023

Classification:

Department: IRCC

Issue:

Concerns regarding the refusal rate for international students from Africa.

Proposed Response:

• The Government of Canada recognizes the tremendous social, cultural and economic benefits that international students bring to this country.
• Study permit applications from all over the world are examined uniformly and according to the same criteria, regardless of the country of origin. Visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis according to the specific facts presented by applicants.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is committed to facilitating the mobility of eligible student applicants from Africa and has put in place various initiatives to improve programs and application outcomes.
• IRCC continues to monitor study permit approval rates in Africa; initiatives taken over the past few years have had a positive impact.
• Volumes of study permit applications from African residents have significantly grown within recent years. Application intake for 2023, up until August 31, has already exceeded the total received in 2022 (117,376) by 43,000 applications, for a total of 161,322.
• Study permit approval rates for applicants residing in Africa have increased from 30% in 2021 to 39% in 2023; in the same period, approval rates for Francophone students from Africa have increased from 27% to 37%.

If pressed:

• The approval rate for Anglophone students from Africa increased from 33% to 40% from 2021 to 2023.
• IRCC is committed to ensuring that each application is treated fairly and without discrimination.
• To this end, the Department has:
  • Expanded its training curriculum to include further unconscious bias, cultural and anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion training and will continue to do so;
  • Maintained quality assurance measures to achieve consistency in decision making on these applications;
  • Continued to work with partners to attract eligible, admissible applicants from Africa by regularly participating and hosting in-person and virtual events to explain application processes and requirements;
  • Leveraged the integrated network to ensure the timely and efficient processing of all African caseloads.
• IRCC has implemented the Student Direct Stream (SDS) in Senegal and Morocco and the Nigeria Student Express (NSE) Program to expedite the processing of applications that meet specific requirements. These additional requirements help clients establish their eligibility and lead to higher approval rates.
• For students seeking to attend an institution in Quebec, the province must first issue a certificate of acceptance for which a higher minimum amount of funds is required to be demonstrated for the applicant to support themselves, than those destined to the rest of Canada.  
• IRCC has developed a methodology to identify potential institutional bias and racism in decision-making and risk management. This effort promises to address gaps and provide program and policy recommendations to achieve equitable outcomes for Black and Racialized populations.
• IRCC is currently undertaking a strategic review of the immigration system. In this effort, we are working with partners and stakeholders to correct the wrongs of systemic bias and racism with comprehensive and concrete solutions for the future of immigration.

Contact:
Pemi Gill
Director General, International Network
Tel. No.:
Cell. No.:

Approved by:
Daniel Mills
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations
Tel. No.:

Additional Messaging:

• The Government of Canada is committed to a fair and non-discriminatory application of immigration procedures. IRCC has committed to significantly advance efforts in support of anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion.
• IRCC has undertaken a series of anti-racism initiatives that support the fair and non-discriminatory application of all immigration procedures, including:
  • Delivering mandatory unconscious bias training for all employees;
  • Supporting the review of all policies and programs to identify systemic racism, barriers and the disparate impacts on racialized groups; and,
  • Implementing mitigation plans to reduce racial disparities across programs and procedures based on system review, data mapping, external sources, identifying and addressing bias in decision-making and risk management, including automation practices.

Background:

• Study permit applicants must first be accepted to a Canadian designated learning institution before applying to IRCC for a study permit. Officers then assess applications to determine if applicants are bona fide (genuine) students and that they are admissible to Canada on health, security and financial grounds. Applicants seeking to attend a learning institution in Quebec also need a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec from the province of Quebec.
• Screening of applicants against objective markers ensure that students have both sufficient funds to support their studies in Canada, and the ability to successfully engage in their education. While decision makers can positively consider the dual intent of student applicants who may want to study and then apply for permanent residence, this does not preclude assessing the first intent of the applicant – their genuine desire to pursue education in Canada.
• IRCC continues to work with international partners, Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants to combat the exploitation of vulnerable students by unscrupulous agents and bad actors.
• The onus is on applicants to establish that they meet the requirements of the Act and Regulations, including that they have the resources to support themselves while in Canada and that they would depart Canada at the end of their authorized stay pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (section R216(1)(b)). They are given the opportunity to present their cases by providing documentary evidence and any other relevant information to support their applications.
• In 2019, IRCC expanded the SDS to Senegal and Morocco. SDS is an expedited processing program for applicants from eligible countries who intend to study in Canada at a post-secondary DLI. To be eligible, applicants must meet specific criteria by providing upfront documentation (including demonstration of program eligibility and available funds), which helps to increase the approval rate. Consideration is being given to expanding the SDS to other African countries.
• The number of Study Permits issued to African students has increased six-fold from 2016 to August 2023, going from 10,162 to 62,002.
• IRCC increased its footprint on the continent with the opening of IRCC Addis Ababa in 2021 and IRCC Yaoundé in 2022, and overall, 67 new positions have been created on the African continent since April 2018, of which 30 were added in 2022 alone.
• IRCC engages in outreach with partners and at public events to explain visa requirements, how to submit a complete application and inform about unscrupulous agents who seek to defraud both applicants and the Canadian government.
• IRCC offices in Africa are making targeted promotional efforts to improve the quality of the applications received and thus increase approval rates. In 2021 for example, the Department piloted a new project in Senegal with the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne to promote studies at Francophone colleges and universities outside Quebec. In 2022, this collaborative promotion was also mirrored in some other places, such as the Maghreb, Ivory Coast and East Africa.
• IRCC engages in outreach with future students, in cooperation with both Global Affairs Canada and other partners, at public events and on social media. IRCC offices located in Africa participate in events such as EduCanada and EduQuebec. These outreach efforts allow IRCC to explain visa requirements and how to apply, in order to ensure applicants are provided with the correct information and help steer candidates away from unscrupulous consultants.
• With respect to concerns around potential bias in decision-making, each applicant is entitled to receiving an individualized assessment based on all of the information available on file. All applications are reviewed objectively and consistently to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all applicants. Each application is assessed on its own merit against the program requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its Regulations, and decisions are neither discriminatory nor arbitrary. An officer’s decision is reached only after all factors pertaining to the circumstances of a case are carefully assessed, thoroughly and fairly, in accordance with the provisions of Canada’s immigration legislation. Since officers are obligated to uphold the provisions of the legislation, they cannot accept those applicants who do not meet all requirements.
• IRCC maintains quality assurance measures to achieve consistency in decision making on these applications. Additionally, the Department continues to analyze data, refine criteria, and design mechanisms to improve decision-making and ensure that genuine, admissible students are able to study in Canada. The Department also monitors compliance rates where the designated learning institutions report back on whether international students are attending school as planned.
• In line with annual Quality Assurance Commitments, IRCC’s missions in Sub‑Saharan Africa are currently undertaking a number of exercises to examine its study permit caseload, all of which are expected to be completed by September 30, 2023.

Study Permit Approval Rate

Legend:

Blue: Global
Orange: All countries in Africa
Grey: English-speaking Africa
Yellow: Francophone Africa