Canada has announced a new verification process for international student visa applications, in an effort to prevent fraud. The new rule will require education institutions to confirm every applicant”s letter of acceptance directly with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

This comes after a recent case in which over 700 Indian students were facing deportation after their college acceptance letters were found to be fake.

The new rule will come into effect on December 1, 2023. IRCC says that the enhanced verification process will protect students from letter of acceptance fraud and ensure that study permits are issued only based on genuine letters of acceptance.

In addition to the new verification process, Canada is also conducting a review of the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) for the first time in 10 years. The goal of the review is to calibrate the PGWP to address Canada”s labor shortages in areas of the economy with a greater need, as well as their regional immigration goals.

Canada”s immigration minister, Marc Miller, says that the goal of the latest moves is to prevent genuine students from facing deportation and to better select and retain those students that are best suited to meet the needs of Canada”s economy and immigration goals.

The new verification process is likely to have a positive impact on Indian students, as it will help to prevent them from falling victim to fraud. However, it is important to note that the processing time for student visa applications may increase due to the new process.

Indian students who are planning to study in Canada should start the application process as early as possible and ensure that they have all of the required documentation. They should also be aware of the latest changes to the student visa program and contact the Canadian embassy or consulate in their home country if they have any questions.