Thousands of students, mostly Indians, who attended the business management diploma program offered through Portage College and the Canadian Institute of Osteopathic Therapy in Calgary, are in limbo as they are not getting a post-graduation work permit from Canada.
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These graduates claimed that the Canadian Immigration changed a rule and made non-credit programs ineligible for this work permit. But they applied for a work permit before the change of rules. IRCC, meanwhile, said there has been no change to any rule. And some students from the same institution got a work permit.
“My father spent his whole lifetime saving for me,” Jaspinder Kaur told CTV News. “After completing my two years of study, I thought I would be able to work and gain some Canadian experience.” For many, the tuition fee alone cost $32,000 for two years, excluding other living costs.
Mukul Rana said students who received refusals are now struggling financially and mentally after losing the ability to work. “This is a betrayal of thousands of international students; it is not just administrative, it is a human crisis,” Rana said.
As questions were raised about the college's role in the incident, the administration declined to comment.
Calgary immigration lawyer Laura-Anne Goulding of Shory Law told CTV that her office has been contacted by dozens of affected students, and her office alone is dealing with 200 students.
