Canada Rejects Work Permits for Thousands of Indian Students

Canada Rejects Work Permits for Thousands of Indian Students

Thousands of Indian students in Canada have been left in uncertainty after their applications for post-graduation work permits were rejected despite completing two-year diploma programmes and paying about $32,000 in tuition fees.

The affected graduates studied Business Management through a partnership between Portage College and the Canadian Institute of Osteopathic Therapy in Calgary.

Many say they enrolled in the programme believing it would qualify them for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which allows eligible international students to gain Canadian work experience after graduation.

The students argue that they applied for their work permits before any changes affecting programme eligibility took effect.

However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) insists there has been no change to its rules and notes that some graduates from the same institution have successfully received permits.

The denials have left many graduates facing financial hardship after investing heavily in their education and living expenses.

One of the affected students, Jaspinder Kaur, told CTV News that her family made enormous sacrifices to fund her studies in Canada and that she expected to begin working after graduation to gain valuable experience.

Another student, Mukul Rana, described the situation as a humanitarian crisis, saying many graduates are now struggling financially and emotionally after losing the opportunity to work.

As frustration grows, attention has turned to the institutions that offered the programme. The college has yet to publicly respond to the students’ claims.

Immigration lawyer Laura-Anne Goulding said her law firm has been contacted by dozens of affected students and is currently handling around 200 similar cases.

The controversy has also sparked heated debate on social media following protests by the affected students.

While some users blamed the institutions for allegedly misleading students about their eligibility, others argued that completing a two-year diploma should not automatically guarantee a work permit or a pathway to permanent residency in Canada.