Since 2019, Canada promoted itself as a destination for international students, highlighting education as a pathway to permanent residency. This led to an increase in study permit applications from under 500,000 in 2019 to about 943,000 in 2023. The rapid growth prompted an internal review of the federal International Student Program. In fall 2023, the department committed to reforming the program to control program growth, strengthen program integrity, and improve the diversity of the international student population.
The Office of the Auditor General undertook an audit that looked at the federal government’s reforms to the international student program and published its report in March 2026. The objective was to determine whether Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada was effectively implementing reforms to the program. What did they find? How did they approach this daunting task, and sift through all the related data? Join us on Thursday, June 18 at 2:00 pm ET as we hear from the audit director and audit project leader on their approach and their findings on study permit caps, program integrity, and fraud risks.
SPEAKERS
Erin Jellinek is an Audit Director at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, with 26 years of experience in performance auditing. She specializes in northern and international portfolios and began her career at the OAG as an audit trainee in 2000. Erin holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Brunswick with a focus in women’s and Indigenous studies.
Robyn Meikle is an Audit Project Leader at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, with over 15 years of experience in performance auditing. She specializes in defence and international portfolios. She began her career at the OAG as a co‑op student in 2009 while completing her master’s degree. Robyn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies from Queen’s University and a Master of Public Administration from Carleton University.
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