I would like to add my 2 paisa here -
I have degrees from the U.K., where an interview is part of the visa process. In spite of that, I encountered several students who by some standards weren’t proficient enough, they had a 6.5 , 7 IELTS score. These students attended a number of different universities across the U.K., I attended two G5 universities, and I met some students there who didn’t speak enough English, yet they managed to get in and get their visa , it’s not all about the English-language skills
If you take a look at some of the most competitive courses, they have a lot of Chinese students who in general cannot speak English as well as some others , this doesn’t mean they’re not smart enough, just that they can’t articulate themselves in the English language
second, the vast majority of American master’s degrees don’t require interviews, it’s the same around the world (MBAs are an exception) only some American universities conduct interviews for their undergraduates , and most of these are not evaluative.
I am in complete agreement with some of the previous comments about how the system is being misused by students , and some ‘colleges’ will offer admissions to just about anyone. I’ve seen some people on the forum saying they were offered admission in 2 weeks or slightly longer, that’s not how it should be
I think IRCC could Include an interview as part of the visa process but I suppose it would be time-consuming for them , given the number of students in relation to their manpower- now I realise why the ‘statement’ assumes so much importance during the visa process- it essentially acts in lieu of the interview
if Canada amends its PGWP rules, I’m sure a lot fewer students would seek admissions to colleges