Citizenship and Immigration committee  Right now, in the processing of applications, if an officer has a doubt about the validity of a letter of acceptance, we do actually reach out directly to the DLI to ask them to either validate that letter of acceptance or invalidate it, so we do have an “ad hoc based on officer review” sharing of information with the DLIs.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Currently that is based on officer review on an individual basis and not done automatically.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  No, there currently is not.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We are right now looking at sharing more information with designated learning institutions, and I believe we already have the authorities to do that. I don't think we need information-sharing agreements, necessarily. We do share information with them on an ad hoc basis when there's a doubt around fraud, and we will be enhancing that shortly.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The minister has been very clear in directing us to look at the overall international study program, to increase integrity, to address student vulnerability and to develop a recognized institution model.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The minister has clearly directed us to do work on the study program, and the way that we achieve those goals is being worked on right now.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Maybe I can go through the current numbers of where we are in the review—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In terms of the in-Canada population that has already been the subject of a removal order, everyone who is genuine has been contacted and issued a TRP. In the cases that are still before the IRB, a number of those have been assessed, and notes have been left on the file so that the moment those come out of the IRB we will be able to intervene, either with a TRP for a genuine case or to ask them for more information if we didn't have enough information to consider that they were genuine.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In terms of the people who are still before the IRB, there is no risk of removal for them. The task force has been very clear that we intervene when the case has been heard and concluded at the IRB. At this point—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  My understanding is that while they wait at the IRB their status remains—the validity of their status remains. That's why, once the IRB has made its decision, that's the point at which the task force would intervene.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We are going to review all the data we have about any pattern to determine whether there's a simple way of giving you an answer. However, I understand that your interest is in students who went to Quebec at some point, and how many attended francophone and anglophone institutions.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  No, I don't know if they were offered psychological counselling.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I believe that the root of the problem stems from unscrupulous agents operating abroad. There is no doubt about it, and you heard the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship say earlier during his appearance, that there were systemic racism problems. However, in the matter we are addressing, the problem stems from the fact that some students did not know that their letters of acceptance were invalid when their applications were approved.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Chair. The process we undertook was a very facilitative one that was based on determining whether a student really came here to study. A very basic test we used was to consider whether that student was in fact studying at an institution within three terms after they arrived.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you. The agency and the department are working very closely together. The sharing of information, I would say, is heightened and very seamless. The task force is composed of an assistant deputy minister at IRCC and an assistant deputy minister at the CBSA, and there are four directors general involved and, I would say, over 20 to 30 officers from both departments working really closely together.