Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Sept. 23rd, 2025

[Amandeep Sodhi, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you once again.

My last question is this. How many instances of fraud has IRCC's new PAL requirement stopped since being enacted?

[Soyoung Park]

I'm sorry. I think you're actually referring to the LOA system rather than the PAL system, because PAL is just the allocations given to provinces and territories.

We previously mentioned the number 14,000.

[Amandeep Sodhi, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you very much, Ms. Park.

Thank you, Ms. Sodhi.

We're starting the third round. For our next questioner, we will go to Mr. Ma for five minutes.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Madam Chair, my principal concern is the reputation of Canada as a top designation for international students through our institutions, which are ranked and esteemed globally. We are speaking of the likes of the University of Toronto, McGill and UBC, not the colleges that are housed in shopping malls and strip malls.

This is my first question. When the government issues study permits, is there a distinction between those attending premium institutions and those attending shopping mall diploma mills?

[Soyoung Park]

Before I invite my colleague to respond to the last part—

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

It should be a very simple yes-or-no answer.

[Soyoung Park]

As we've stated, each application is going to be assessed on its merits. Part of the assessment of an application is the institution they're going to and the kinds of students it has.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Is that a yes, or is that a no?

[Soyoung Park]

I think I have answered the question, but yes.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Shopping mall diploma mills that accept international students are considered designated learning institutions, as we discussed earlier, making them equal to our premium research universities.

From a percentage standpoint, what is the split of study permits allocated to our premium institutions versus those given to the shopping mall diploma mills?

[Soyoung Park]

That would be determined by each province and territory, but what I can tell you is that through the measures that were introduced, the share of university degree students has started to grow, going from 30% to 33%, and the share of college students has started to decrease, going from 44% to 40% since the cap was imposed.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Ms. Park, you were part of the group that was providing strategic advice to the minister at the time of the strategy and moving forward.

Did you or your colleagues advise the minister at the time regarding the foreign student permits issued during that time? There was a massive spike in permits during that time.

Did you or any of your colleagues advise the minister not to increase permits to the level that he did?

[Soyoung Park]

Just as a point of correction, I did not hold this position at that time.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Were you not at the time, in 2022, an ADM for the strategic and program policy sector? Therefore, you were advising—

[Soyoung Park]

It was not part of my portfolio.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

I see. You're saying you were not part of that number, but your colleagues did not recommend it to the minister either.

[Soyoung Park]

I cannot speak on behalf of my colleagues at that time in 2022.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Can the witnesses here give a yes-or-no answer?

[Soyoung Park]

We would not be able to do that at this time.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Will you be providing that information to the committee within 28 calendar days?

[Soyoung Park]

I'm a bit unclear on what information I'm providing.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London Centre, ON]

Chair, on a point of order, this 28-day point has come up a number of times.

If officials can provide it within that time, that's fine. I'd just remind colleagues that we haven't passed a motion to that effect. Timelines vary according to how easily information can be found. There are any number of factors—

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Mr. Fragiskatos. It's not a point of order.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London Centre, ON]

This has come up a number of times.