Indian students in Canada who were denied a work permit begin a hunger strike.
A few Indian students at Portage College in Calgary, Canada, have begun a hunger strike as part of their ongoing protest against the Canadian Immigration Department’s decision to deny them post-graduation work permit.
They said they were waiting for some positive results as they have been protesting for a few days but now they have to start a round-the-clock protest to attract the attention of the authorities. While a thousand students were protesting, about 5-6 students started a hunger strike.
What is the problem with a work permit after graduation?
The issue concerns students who attended the diploma program offered by Portage College and the Canadian Osteopathic Institute.
Thousands of students have been denied work permit after graduation as IRCC said the course they studied was not eligible for work permit. In Canada, this PGWP depends on the course the student is pursuing as well as the institution from which the degree was obtained.The students claimed that the course they followed and the college – both were on the eligibility list when they registered. After they paid $32,000 for the two-year course and completed it, they were told that the course and institute were no longer eligible.
Portage College authorities said they were aware of the immigration issue, but the decision was made by IRCC and they had nothing to do with it, although they asked for clarification from the immigration department. Meanwhile, some of Portage College’s partner universities have decided to close their physical locations. This also is unrelated to the PGWP issue and has been planned since 2024, Portage College said.
“We studied here, and we deserve to work here.”
The students said they want their work permit denial reviewed and that they deserve to work in Canada while they study here. The students claimed that after two years, they were informed that their degree was an unaccredited programme. Non-credit programs are not eligible for a work permit. The students claimed that the new rule was put in place only in June 2026 on the website. Two years ago, they were told that their programs were eligible for a work permit.
