TROIS-RIVIERES, CANADA - Long viewed as a multicultural and inclusive nation, Canada admitted recently that its immigration system is tinged with racism and concern has risen over high rejection rates for African students.

`I have met people who have had their visas refused more than five times,` even though they had been accepted by Canadian universities, says Serge Nouemssi, white coat and pipette in hand.

Originally from Cameroon, the 33-year-old biology student has been working on his doctorate for more than three years in a laboratory at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres (UQTR).

Surrounded by greenery, the campus located halfway between Montreal and Quebec City hosts almost 15,000 students, including the largest proportion of Africans in the province -- 65% of international students.

But `we have seen rejections of up to 80% of applicants coming from Africa,` says the school`s rector, Christian Blanchette, who noted it has been an ongoing problem `for several years.`

In a report quietly released at the end of September, the national immigration department said it `recognizes the presence of racism in Canada and within our own organization.`

According to federal data, Quebec is the Canadian province with the highest rejection rate of African students -- around 70% from French-speaking African nations between 2017 and 2021.

The data says applications from France, Britain or Germany to study in Quebec are almost always accepted -- approximately a 90% approval rate.

ÁBSURD`REFUSALS

As well as having to pay tuition ranging on average from Can$17,000 (US$12,750) to Can$19,000 per academic year to study in Quebec and rising up to Can$50,000, African students must also provide financial guarantees.

`For us Africans, generally they (immigration officials) insist on proof of financial means` to be able to afford to live and study in Canada, explains Nouemssi.

`There are cases where we have demonstrated financial resources that were close to one million dollars,` explains Caroline Turcotte-Brule, an immigration lawyer. `The agent replied that our client did not have enough financial resources.`

`I have the

impression that it`s a bit random,` she adds, specifying that the reason for refusal is often the same: `a fear that the person will not return to his country of origin after` his studies.

`It`s a bit of hypocrisy,` said Krishna Gagne, another lawyer who notes that students have the legal right to consider staying in Canada after their studies.

Ottawa has even been encouraging foreign students to do so as it rolled out incentives in recent months in order to help deal with a labor shortage.

Sitting at her desk in a small laboratory at the end of a maze of underground corridors, Imene Fahmi says that she had to try twice before being able to come and study in Quebec.

`I encountered a lot of difficulties`, explains the Algerian-born doctor, who was refused the first time because the program she`d chosen was `not related to her previous studies,` even though she had been aggressively recruited by her future research director.

She had to apply a second time and wait eight months before finally getting approval.

`In regards to immigration, there doesn`t seem to be an understanding of the nuances and backgrounds of certain students, so we have refusals which are a bit absurd,` her research supervisor Mathieu Piche says, unable to hide his frustrations.

Refusals and delays have consequences on the students but also `on the work of the teachers,` he adds.

SYSTEMATIC RACISM

The problem does not only affect students. In July, Canada faced a backlash over its denials of visas for hundreds of delegates, including Africans, that were to attend the AIDS 2022 conference in Montreal.

In its September report, the government promised better training for its immigration agents, considering creating an ombudsman post to manage disputes and review its much maligned case processing software.

Those efforts are welcomed by Turcotte-Brule, but she underscores that there has been `a problem of systemic racism for a long time` in Canada and that `it will not be resolved overnight.` V.4523

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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