Canadian College issues statement on Indian students’ rejection of work permit applications, asking them to consult immigration lawyers
Portage College in Calgary, which is facing protests from Indian students over the refusal of Canadian immigration authorities to issue post-graduation work permits, has issued a statement on the situation and said the institution is in dialogue with immigration authorities. “Students seeking advice should consult an authorized immigration lawyer or regulated Canadian immigration consultant. We will continue our efforts to gather more information this week,” the college said in a statement. information July 20th.The college said earlier there was no guarantee a program would secure a work permit upon graduation.“Portage College is aware that graduates of certain non-credit programs have had their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) applications denied, including applications that included a letter from the college. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) evaluates each application individually and has sole responsibility for determining eligibility and issuing immigration decisions. Portage College does not make immigration decisions, does not represent individuals in immigration matters, does not represent students in legal proceedings, and does not guarantee that projects, documents or correspondence will result in any particular immigration outcome. “
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Since late June 2026, international students at the college, mainly Indian students, have been subject to PGWP rejections, meaning these students are ineligible for postgraduate work permits. In the rejection, Immigration Canada mentioned that the projects they completed were not eligible for a work permit. In Canada, this work permit depends on the university list and course list. If students complete these specific courses from these specific colleges, only then will they be eligible for a work permit.“The course completed (e.g. Diploma in Business Administration) was a non-credit course and therefore the course did not meet the criteria for work authorization under R205(c)(ii). The application was refused under R200(1)(c)(ii)” – stated the majority of the refusers.But students claim they attended Portage and chose their degrees only because the schools and courses were listed as designated universities and courses. They pay more than $15,000 a year in tuition and are now being told they will not receive work permits and must leave Canada.The students claim IRCC adjusted the rules on its website but did not publish them in the Canada Gazette. These students came to Canada in 2023-2024, so the new regulations that popped up on the IRCC website are retroactively applying to those older students.Canadian immigration consultant Dimple Verma has launched a petition to collect signatures in support of international students.As the protests continue, students say they are not seeking permanent residency in Canada; They just want to work in Canada after paying two years of tuition.
