Portage College of Calgary, which is facing protests by Indian students as they were refused post-graduation work permits by Canadian immigration, issued a statement on the situation and said the college body is speaking with immigration authorities. “Students seeking advice should consult either an authorized immigration lawyer or a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant. We will continue working throughout the week to gather more information,” the college said in a message on July 20.The college earlier said it did not guarantee that a program would ensure a post-graduation work permit.“Portage College is aware that some graduates of certain non-credit programs have received refusals of their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) applications, including applications that included a letter issued by the College. 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, act as a representative in individual immigration matters, participate in legal proceedings on behalf of students, or guarantee that a program, document, or letter will result in any particular immigration outcome,” it said.
What is the issue?
Since late June 2026, international students of this college, mostly Indian, have been getting PGWP refusals, which means these students are not eligible for a post-graduate work permit. In the refusal, Canada Immigration mentioned that the program that they completed is not eligible for a work permit. In Canada, this work permit depends on a list of colleges and a list of programs. If students complete these particular courses from these specific colleges, only then do they become eligible for a work permit.“The completed (for example: Business Management Diploma Program) is a non-credit program, as such the program does not meet the criteria for work authorization under R205(c)(ii). Application refused under R200(1)(c)(ii)” — most of the refusals said.But the students claimed that they enroled at Portage and chose their degree only because these were listed as designated college and program. They paid tuition fee exceeding $15,000 per year and now they are being told that they won’t get work permit and must leave Canada.Students are claiming that IRCC tweaked a rule on its website but there was no Canada Gazette publication. These students came to Canada in 2023-2024, and so the new rule, which appeared suddenly on the IRCC website, is being applied to those old students retrospectively.Canadian immigration consultant Dimple Verma has started a petition collecting signatures in support of the international students.As the protest continues, the students said they are not seeking Canada PR; they just want to work in Canada after paying tuition fees for two years.
