Indian students continue their protests in Canada after being denied post-graduation work permit.
Portage College in Calgary, which is facing protests by Indian students over Canadian Immigration denying them post-graduation work permits, issued a statement on the situation and said the college body is talking with immigration authorities.
“Students seeking advice should consult an accredited immigration attorney or regulated Canadian immigration advisor,” the college said in a letter dated July 20. “We will continue to work throughout the week to gather more information.”The college previously said it did not guarantee that the program would guarantee a work permit after graduation.“Portage College is aware that some graduates of certain non-credit programs have received denials of their Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) applications, including applications that included a college-issued letter.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assesses each application individually and is solely responsible for determining eligibility and issuing immigration decisions.
Portage College does not make immigration decisions, serve as a representative in individual immigration matters, participate in legal proceedings on behalf of students, or guarantee that a program, document or letter will lead to any particular immigration outcome, she said.
What is the issue?
Since late June 2026, international students at this college, most of whom are Indian, have received a PGWP rejection, meaning that these students are not eligible for a post-graduation work permit. In the refusal decision, Immigration Canada stated that the program they completed was not eligible for a work permit. In Canada, this work permit is based on the list of colleges and list of programs. If students complete these specific courses from these specific colleges, only then they become eligible for a work permit.“The completed program (eg: Business Administration Diploma Program) is a non-accredited program and therefore the program does not meet the criteria for a business license under R205(c)(ii). The application is denied under R200(1)(c)(ii)” – most of the denials said.But the students claimed they enrolled at Portage and only chose their degree because it was listed as a specific college and program. They paid tuition fees of more than $15,000 a year and are now being told they will not get a work permit and must leave Canada.
The students claim that IRCC modified a rule on its website but there was no publication in the Canada Gazette. These students came to Canada in 2023-2024, so the new rule, which suddenly appeared on the IRCC website, applies to these old students retroactively.Canadian immigration consultant Dimple Verma has started a petition to collect signatures in support of international students.As the protest continued, the students said they were not seeking permanent residency in Canada; They only want to work in Canada after paying tuition fees for two years.