The Measurement Trap: Why Cutting Student Visas Grows the Shadow Economy and a $5.9B Exploitation Subsidy Nobody Talks About
Regulating What You Can Count, Ignoring What You Can’t
Canada has approximately 800,000 international students on active study permits and an estimated 300,000-600,000 people living without legal status. The students are 100% visible — they have names, addresses, SINs, and permit records. The undocumented have none of these. When immigration becomes a political issue, which population gets regulated?