Canada’s immigration landscape is experiencing a sharp rise in visa rejections, with 2.36 million temporary resident applications denied in 2024.
This marks a significant shift in the country’s immigration policies, raising concerns among applicants and stakeholders about the increasing difficulty of securing entry.
According to vanguardngr.com, this unprecedented 50% rejection rate—up from 35% the previous year—signals a tightening of visa regulations that has impacted visitor visas, study permits, and work permits.
The policy changes, driven by concerns over population growth and resource strain, reflect the government’s commitment to reducing temporary residents from 6.5% to 5% of the population by 2026.
Canada visitor visa applications faced the harshest scrutiny, with 1.95 million applications denied, marking a 54% rejection rate as officials cracked down on potential overstays.
Study permits saw a notable shift as well, with 52% of international student applications rejected following the introduction of stricter eligibility criteria, financial requirements, and a crackdown on fraudulent applications.
Work permit refusals, meanwhile, dipped slightly to 22%, reflecting a more selective approach aimed at balancing labor market needs with immigration control.
Also, dailypost.ng, reports that in 2024 alone, 811 Nigerians who applied for refugee protection were turned down by the Canadian government.
The development comes as official data from the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada put Nigeria among the top five countries with the most rejected claims, ranking 5th.
Others are Mexico with 2,954 rejections, India (1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723).
The IMRB grants refugee protection in Canada if the RPD satisfactorily confirms that an applicant or claimant meets the United Nations definition of a Convention refugee, “which has been incorporated into Canadian law, or that the applicant is a person in need of protection.
The officer decides whether the claim is eligible to be referred to the IRB.
“If the claim is eligible, it is sent (“referred”) to the RPD to start the claim for the refugee protection process,” an application guideline by the Refugee Board reads.
An analysis of the rejections since 2013 showed that 127, 241, and 248 Nigerians were denied protection in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively, under the new system for determining refugee protection claims made in Canada—which took effect on December 15, 2012.
Also, 476, 917, and 1,777 claims were rejected in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively.
2019 saw the highest number of rejected claims, with 3,951 Nigerian applicants turned down.
Meanwhile, 1,770, 1,686, 728, 439, and 811 persons were denied protection in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.
Nevertheless, 10,580 Nigerians were granted refugee status within the decade under review, with at least 2,230 from January to December 2024.
Commenting, Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, the executive director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, said that irregular migration is motivated by economic hardship, the leading cause of rejections.
“Most times, many Nigerians miss it when they don’t understand the laws governing refugee status as adopted in their chosen destination.
“Every country has its regulations for absorbing people into its system,” he stated.
The economic impact of these policies presents both challenges and benefits.
While the reduction in temporary residents may ease housing demand and healthcare strain, it also threatens key industries that rely on international talent.
Educational institutions, which benefit from over CAD $22 billion in annual contributions from foreign students, face potential revenue losses, while businesses in sectors like healthcare and construction may struggle with labour shortages.
As Canada moves forward with its 2025-2027 immigration strategy, the long-term implications remain uncertain.
