Indian students used sham marriages for Canada work permits, Ottawa plugged hole

Indian students seeking to study in Canada were allegedly entering into "marriages of convenience" so their spouses could obtain work permits and help finance their education. The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, citing internal government documents, reported that the practice continued until immigration rule changes in 2024 closed the loophole.According to reports in The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Sun, in March 2025, Han Duan, who serves as the First Secretary (Migration) at Canada's High Commission in New Delhi, wrote to senior officials at Immigration, Refuges and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) flagging integrity concerns surrounding Indian study permit applications, including the use of non-genuine marriages to access Canada's now-restricted Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) programme.For context, the SOWP programme previously allowed spouses of international students to work for any employer in Canada while accompanying that student. The policy was intended to help families support themselves financially while in Canada.In 2024, however, Ottawa restricted eligibility for the SOWP programme to postgraduate students while excluding most of their undergraduate counterparts. Rules were tightened further in January 2025, restricting the SWOP programme primarily to spouses of students enrolled in doctoral programmes, select professional degrees, and postgraduate courses lasting at least 16 months. 'INDIAN STUDENTS USED SHAM MARRIAGES TO SECURE SWOP PERMITS'It is the Spousal Open Work Permit, intended to support foreign students in Canada, which was allegedly being misused by some Indian applicants who entered into transactional or "marriages of convenience" to obtain the permits."Given the high cost of studying and living in Canada, many Indian applicants relied on marriages of convenience to secure financial support in exchange for spousal open work permits," Han Duan's email that was addressed to two officials within the IRCC noted. The e-mail further stated that such arrangements were openly marketed in India. "This practice was widely advertised in Indian newspapers and on dating apps," Duan wrote, as quoted by The Globe and Mail.Speaking to the Toronto Sun, Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Richard Kurland, who obtained the e-mail through an access-to-information request, said it was "no surprise" that organised criminal networks had exploited the study permit system once it became associated with employment opportunities and pathways to permanent residency."Unscrupulous overseas agents were promising the moon," said Kurland, who also edits the immigration policy publication Lexbase. "They said, 'Permanent residence is in your hands if you get your study permit, and we'll take care of that pathway for you.'"According to Kurland, many students were led to believe they could eventually transition from study permits to work permits and then apply for permanent residence. He said families often made enormous financial sacrifices to fund those plans."It was a multi-year plan, and the sad part was most often financed by the young person's family," Kurland told the Toronto Sun. "In some cases, they literally sold the farm to put their kid in Canada," Kurland also said.2024 POLICY CLOSED MARRIAGE LOOPHOLE, REDUCED QUANTITY, QUALITY OF INDIAN STUDENTSIn 2024, then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced sweeping reforms to Canada's international student programme, including ending eligibility for the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) for spouses of most undergraduate international students. The move effectively closed a loophole that had allegedly been exploited by some Indian applicants through transactional or "marriages of convenience" to secure work permits.According to The Globe and Mail, Han Duan wrote in the March 2025 e-mail to senior officials at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), that the policy changes had led to a decline in both the number and quality of Indian study permit applicants."Since the introduction of the student cap and various policy measures over the past year, New Delhi has observed a decline not only in the total number of Indian Study Permit (SP) applicants but also in the overall quality of applicants," Duan wrote. She also attributed the decline to reforms that prevented students from obtaining study permits for public post-secondary institutions and later transferring to lower-cost, less-reputable private colleges.The e-mail also flagged concerns about the academic profile of applicants. According to Duan, Canadian officials found indications that some Indian applicants lacked the required English-language proficiency despite possessing valid language test certificates. A targeted integrity exercise highlighted "serious concern regarding language testing" among Indian study permit applicants, the email said.Duan added that many prospective Indian students had shifted to countries that continued to offer spousal work visas after Canada tightened its rules. "Following the introduction of restrictions on spousal OWPs (open work permits), many Indian SP (student permit) applicants have shifted to countries that still permit spousal visas, with significant increases reported in Germany, Sweden, and Finland," she wrote.She noted that similar trends had been observed elsewhere. "Similar trends have been observed in Ireland, France, and Italy, while Australia, New Zealand, and the UK have reported declines in Indian SP applications after implementing similar spousal restrictions," Duan said.The policy changes coincided with a sharp decline in the number of Indian study permit holders in Canada. According to IRCC figures cited by The Globe and Mail, the number fell to 93,840 in 2025, down from 188,125 in 2024 and 277,950 in 2023, reducing a major source of revenue for several Canadian colleges and universities. For context, in 2023, the number of international students holding study permits in Canada surpassed one million for the first time, with Indian students accounting for 37% of all study permits issued that year.Syed Hussan, executive director at Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, told The Globe and Mail he thought the drop in numbers was because "people are choosing not to go to countries where they cannot go with their families".He said another reason why study permit applications have dropped is that immigration rules are unpredictable. "Migrants arrive under one set of rules and then those are changed halfway into their permits," Hussan told The Globe and Mail.- EndsPublished By: Shounak SanyalPublished On: Jul 30, 2026 14:35 IST