'Marriage of convenience' by Indian students in Canada mentioned in internal email: Even advertised on dating apps

Indian students in Canada arranged 'marriages of convenience' through newspaper ads and dating apps to gain residency.

A 2025 email from Canada's High Commission in New Delhi to IRCC officials revealed the practice.

Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller closed the spousal visa loophole in 2024, restricting spousal open work permits to Master's or PhD students.

The email noted a decline in Indian study permit applications after the policy change, with students turning to countries like Germany, Sweden, and Finland.

Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland obtained the email via an access to information request, calling study permits 'not a dating trampoline to Canada'.