Urgent action required by the Department of Justice

July 23, 2024 by Judith Hall

• A 20% decline from key markets is being seen by some English language schools in Ireland,
• It follows a post-pandemic boom that was seen by many schools across the country, with a new visa scam also surfacing
• The scam offers non-EU applicants fake “acceptance letters” from language schools in order to gain Irish residence permits

ELE associations the Progressive College Network and Marketing English in Ireland have both reported a significant sales drop-off following a post-pandemic boom. 

Schools are also facing “considerable difficulties” because of a new visa scam where non-EU citizens purchase fake acceptance letters from language schools to obtain Irish residence permits. 

The scam has impacted enrolment rates and put pressure on schools that are reliant on non-EU renewal students.

Declining sales

“It’s becoming a tough market and everybody is feeling the pinch at the moment,” David Russell, chairman of PCN, told The PIE News.

“I know of at least one school that had two centres. They had an address here and an address there. They’ve had to close their second as they just didn’t have the numbers.”

Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd, chief executive officer of Marketing English in Ireland explained that Ireland experienced a “swift and robust” recovery in the ELE market post-COVID. 

This influx of students returning to study abroad led to a boom in the sector after a difficult Covid period. However, there has now been a levelling off in growth. 

“While the mini-stay business remains exceptionally strong, we estimate that there is a decline of approximately 10 to 20 percent in both the junior summer and adult markets,” O’Connor Lloyd said. 

“Regarding the overall drop in sales, several factors could be contributing to this trend. Market saturation following the post-COVID boom, changing international student preferences, and economic conditions all play a role,” he added. 

MEI is calling for the Irish government to support the sector by running marketing campaigns to promote Ireland as a prime destination for ELE and to provide administrative support towards the Erasmus Plus programme. 

The PCN’s David Russell said that the Irish government should consider increasing timetables for the English language students – currently students’ classes have to be held between 9am to 5pm. 

“If they could move it to between 9am and 7pm, that would allow for three timetables. And that means a third suite of classes for the schools but it would also give the students more flexibility,” Russell said. 

The PIE requested comment from the Irish government on how it would support language schools amidst the decline in sales but did not receive a response to this point at the time of writing.

Fake letter scam

Both the PCN and MEI told The PIE that the fake letter scam was having a significant impact on language schools.  

The scam, which was reported on by the Irish Times, involves students from outside of the EU, with large numbers coming from Brazil, using forged documents to secure study visas. 

Once students arrive in Ireland, they do not attend the schools they are supposedly enrolled in.

“These fake letters are costing everybody money. Each fake letter is a lost sale, and a lost student,” Russell told The PIE. 

“Some so-called students are starting to decide “why should I pay 2000 or 3000 euro for a course when I could just pay this guy 500 euro for fake documents. Immigration are accepting it, why should I pay more?””

MEI’s O’Connor Lloyd said the problem is significantly impacting non-EU renewal students who are already in Ireland. 

“Schools that rely heavily on this business are experiencing considerable difficulties due to these fraudulent activities,” he said. 

O’Connor Lloyd told The PIE that the Irish government has recognised the severity of the issue and is taking steps to address it. 

“Measures are being introduced to combat the issuance and use of fake letters, and we are hopeful that these will be implemented swiftly and effectively,” O’Connor Lloyd said. 

Each fake letter is a lost sale, and a lost student

David Russell, Progressive College Network

The PIE understands that Immigration Service Delivery are conducting more regular confirmation checks with the schools. 

They are also encouraging schools to implement QR codes or other methods of verification.  

“It is crucial that these measures are enforced rigorously to safeguard the integrity of our international education system and support the schools and universities affected by this problem,” O’Connor Lloyd added. 

A spokesperson for the Irish government’s Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science told The PIE that The Immigration Service Delivery has responsibility for assessing the validity of all documentation including English language school enrolment letters. 

“ISD Registration staff maintain regular contact with administration staff from education providers for verification purposes as appropriate,” the spokesperson said. 

“Where documents are suspect, education providers are contacted directly to verify them. All cases of suspected fraud are referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).”

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