OLLO – French-Speaking Students From Africa –November 4, 2024
Key Messages
International students, including French-speaking ones, enrich our communities and are an integral part of Canada's social, cultural and economic fabric.
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 works closely with Global Affairs Canada and outreach partners to promote study in Canada through a number of public events and on social media.
For example, IRCC offices located in Africa participate in events such as EduCanada and EduQuebec and regularly host webinars to explain program requirements, cover recent changes and encourage prospective applicants to protect themselves from unscrupulous consultants.
Efforts also include providing cultural training to decision makers on the opportunities that applicants from African countries present, especially for Francophone migration.
Volumes of study permit applications from African residents have significantly grown in recent years. The number of study permit applications in 2023 was up 204% from 2021 (from 90K to 273K). Over 161K study permit applications have been received in 2024 (to September 30).
So far in 2024, we have seen a decrease in study permit approval rates globally (including from clients in Africa), mostly in response to new measures aimed at strengthening the integrity and effectiveness of the international student program. IRCC continues to closely monitor these impacts to observe and analyze how trends in intake and approval rates are affected.
Supplementary Messages
In cooperation with local partners, IRCC offices in Africa have increased their efforts to raise awareness among prospective applicants about fraud, the risks of using unauthorized consultants and the consequences of misrepresentation.
The most common reasons for refusal are that the applicant is not able to satisfy the officer of their ability to financially support themselves while in Canada, and that they will leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay.
IRCC officers have the authority to exercise their discretion when assessing financial resources. This allows them to more fairly and equitably assess applicants, taking into account local conditions while maintaining robust program integrity.
Francophone Minority Communities Pilot (FMCSP)
The FMCSP launched on August 26, 2024, for a duration of two years. It is a flagship measure of the new Policy on Francophone Immigration launched in collaboration with French and bilingual post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLIs) outside Quebec.
This Pilot aims to welcome more French-speaking international students from world regions (members of l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie) that face high study permit refusal rates, such as Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. It also aims to retain more students and their families in Francophone Minority Communities by offering them access to settlement services during their studies and a direct pathway to permanent residence upon graduation.
The financial requirement for this pilot is based on the specific cost of living in the city where the student intends to study.
Background
CIMM - French-speaking students from Africa
In May 2022, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) tabled a report on the differential treatment of international students, with a focus on those from African countries. IRCC agreed, either partially or in full, with all of the CIMM’s recommendations.
The Department has taken the following concrete steps to implement the recommendations:
Launched target guidelines for disaggregated data standards for diverse populations in May 2024;
Pursued further research on racial discrimination against Black immigrants in immigration;
Worked on a Gender-Based Analysis Plus of the Chinook software program and the International Student Program.
Designated Learning Institution Reporting on Student Enrollment Status
In the fall of 2023, DLIs reported on the enrolment status of almost 710,000 international students, out of which there were close to 72,500 students from African countries.
The data shows that 83% of the African students were reported as potentially compliant by their DLI while 17% were reported as potentially noncompliant. In comparison, 93% of non-African students were reported as potentially compliant by their DLI while 7% were reported as potentially noncompliant.
Data represents preliminary estimates and is subject to change.
