Ottawa closes spousal work permit route following reports of marriages of convenience

Internal government communications reveal that arranged marriages of convenience were previously used by some Indian students to secure Canadian open work permits for their spouses. An access to information report from Canada’s High Commission in New Delhi highlighted integrity concerns, noting that immigration-linked marriages were openly advertised in Indian media. Following policy changes introduced by former Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Ottawa restricted spousal work permits primarily to graduate-level international students. Official figures show that Indian study permit holders decreased significantly from 277,950 in 2023 to 93,840 in 2025. The policy change aims to ensure that international applicants can independently support their studies while reducing fraudulent immigration schemes.

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