(CANADA) The federal government is moving to give itself sweeping new visa cancellation powers in response to what officials describe as a sharp rise in fraud tied to international students and other temporary residents, with internal documents showing India and Bangladesh singled out as major “country-specific challenges.”
The proposed authority is contained in Bill C-12, legislation that grew out of an earlier draft known as Bill C-2 and would let Ottawa cancel large groups of visas at once in situations such as pandemics, wars or targeted fraud schemes. While public messaging has focused on emergency health or security events, briefing material inside Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, points to worries about particular nationalities rather than general global crises.
Fraud findings and country-specific concerns
Those concerns intensified after officials uncovered more than 1,550 fraudulent letters of acceptance from Indian students in 2023, according to internal figures. Letters of acceptance are core documents for study permit applications; if they are fake, the entire visa rests on false ground.
By 2024, Canadian authorities had flagged over 14,000 potentially fraudulent letters worldwide, with India and Bangladesh highlighted as major sources of risk. Those countries appear repeatedly in departmental briefings on the proposed law as examples of country-specific challenges.
Impact on applicants and processing
The fallout has been felt most directly by Indian students, who now face some of the toughest odds in the system.
- In August 2025, IRCC data show 74 per cent of study permit applications from India were refused.
- By comparison, applicants from China faced a 24 per cent refusal rate.
- The overall refusal rate across applicants was about 40 per cent.
Students and colleges in India say genuine applicants are being swept up in a crackdown aimed at organized fraud rings and unscrupulous recruiters.
Extra security checks introduced in response have slowed processing for many applicants. For Indian nationals, the typical processing time for study permits climbed from about 30 days in mid-2023 to 54 days by mid-2024, according to internal tracking. Students and colleges say the delays mean missed semester start dates, lost tuition deposits and growing uncertainty for families who may have borrowed heavily to cover travel and school costs in 🇨🇦.
Asylum claims and system pressure
The federal government has grown more uneasy about the way some temporary residents from India appear to be turning to the refugee system.
- Asylum claims by Indian nationals rose from fewer than 500 per month in May 2023 to around 2,000 per month by July 2024.
- Officials say this rise has added pressure to an already stretched refugee determination process.
They argue the pattern points to misuse of visitor and student visas, with some applicants allegedly using temporary status mainly as a bridge to claim asylum after arrival.
Key figures at a glance
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fraudulent letters from India (2023) | >1,550 |
| Potentially fraudulent letters worldwide (by 2024) | >14,000 |
| Study permit refusal rate — India (Aug 2025) | 74% |
| Study permit refusal rate — China | 24% |
| Overall study permit refusal rate | ~40% |
| Processing time for Indian study permits (mid-2023) | ~30 days |
| Processing time for Indian study permits (mid-2024) | 54 days |
| Monthly asylum claims by Indian nationals (May 2023) | <500 |
| Monthly asylum claims by Indian nationals (July 2024) | ~2,000 |
Government position and internal framing
Publicly, Immigration Minister Lena Diab has framed Bill C-12 as a narrow response to rare events such as global pandemics, major wars or sudden security risks that require fast action.
The department’s line has been that any expanded authority to cancel visas on a large scale would be used only in such exceptional situations and would not target any particular country.
However, internal briefing notes emphasize that the new visa cancellation powers are meant in part to address “country-specific visa holders,” repeatedly naming India and Bangladesh as primary examples of country-specific challenges.
Concerns from civil society and legal experts
Civil society groups and migrant advocates warn that the law, if passed in its current form, could allow the government to cancel thousands of valid visas with little notice and limited individual review.
- They fear students, workers and visitors from targeted countries could lose status even if they followed every rule.
- Some organizations warn about the risk of large-scale removals if cancelled visas are later used as a basis for enforcement action.
Legal experts say the measure raises basic questions about procedural fairness, because cancelling a visa en masse does not allow for the usual case-by-case assessment of whether each person poses a risk or has engaged in wrongdoing. There is particular concern about people who have built lives in 🇨🇦 as students or workers and could suddenly find their status wiped out if they fall within a group targeted for cancellation.
Effect on international education choices and institutions
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the combination of higher refusal rates, longer processing times and the threat of bulk cancellations is already reshaping choices for many prospective students in South Asia.
- Education agents report some families are turning to destinations such as Australia and the United Kingdom, fearing Canadian policies could shift again with little warning.
- Colleges and universities in 🇨🇦, especially smaller private campuses that rely heavily on fee-paying international students, are watching Bill C-12 closely as they plan future intakes.
Cross-border cooperation and alternatives to mass cancellations
Behind the scenes, Canadian immigration and border agencies are working with counterparts in the United States 🇺🇸 to spot fraudulent applications and cancel visas already issued on the basis of fake documents.
- Cooperation includes sharing intelligence about document mills and recruitment networks that operate across borders.
- Officials argue that better data sharing can reduce the need for blunt tools such as mass visa cancellations by stopping fraud earlier in the process.
- Still, they maintain such tools are needed for situations where large numbers of suspect visas have already been granted.
Debate ahead
For now, Bill C-12 remains a proposal, and the exact checks and balances around any new authority are likely to be debated intensely in Parliament and beyond.
Supporters of the bill argue:
- The government needs clearer tools after experiences like the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden fall of Kabul.
- Being able to suspend or cancel groups of visas quickly could help protect public health, respond to security threats or shut down fraud schemes that exploit weaknesses in the system.
Critics counter:
- Existing laws already allow the minister to refuse applications and revoke visas where there is proof of abuse.
- Those powers argue against using sweeping measures that could remove status from people who followed the rules.
Key takeaway: The tussle is between the need for fast, broad tools to respond to systemic fraud or crises and the protection of individual procedural fairness for temporary residents who may be caught up in mass actions.
This Article in a Nutshell
Bill C-12 would allow Canada to cancel large groups of visas for emergencies or suspected mass fraud. Internal IRCC documents identify India and Bangladesh as primary sources of fraudulent acceptance letters after more than 1,550 fake Indian letters in 2023 and over 14,000 suspect letters globally by 2024. Indian study permit refusals rose to 74% in August 2025, and processing times lengthened. Advocates warn mass cancellations could strip valid status without individual review; Parliament will debate safeguards.
