Lena Metlege Diab announces pilot to track departures of visa holders amid concerns flagged by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
May 5, 2026: The Canada government has launched a pilot programme to monitor whether temporary residents—such as international students, workers, and visitors—leave the country after their visas expire. The initiative marks the first step toward a formal entry-exit tracking system and comes after concerns raised in a report by Auditor General Karen Hogan regarding gaps in the international student programme.
Speaking before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the system, developed in collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency, will help confirm whether individuals with expired permits have departed. Officials will also flag and investigate suspected fraud cases, with all identified cases set for review by the end of the year.
According to the report submitted to Parliament in March, authorities flagged around 153,000 cases of potentially non-compliant study permit holders between 2023 and 2024. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has now been tasked with investigating such cases and submitting monthly reports. Officials noted that 78% of these cases were ultimately found compliant, though the new system aims to strengthen monitoring and prevent misuse of visas.