Government officials closed a loophole that had allowed international students to bring spouses to Canada on open work permits, uncovering a widespread scheme of marriage of convenience involving applicants from India.
The now‑defunct provision enabled prospective students to enter into transactional marriages that granted their spouses open work permits, a practice openly promoted in Indian newspapers and on dating applications.
High costs of studying and living in Canada prompted many Indian applicants to rely on such marriages to secure financial support for their education.
Agents operating abroad promised permanent residency to students, assuring them that a study permit could be easily converted into a work permit and a pathway to settlement, often financing the plan through the families of the students.
In some cases, families sold assets, including farms, to fund their children's Canadian studies, while the non‑student spouses gained unrestricted access to the Canadian labour market.
Policy reforms introduced in 2024 eliminated the spousal open work permit program for undergraduate students, restricting eligibility to those enrolled in master's programs of at least sixteen months’ duration.
The closure of the loophole led to a noticeable decline in both the number and quality of study permit applications from Indian nationals, as the new rules reduced the incentive to pursue the scheme.
Following the restrictions, many Indian applicants have redirected their plans toward countries that continue to permit spousal visas, including Germany, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
