Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): A major immigration crisis has erupted across Alberta, pushing over 1,500 international student graduates into financial devastation and legal limbo. After investing up to $32,000 each in tuition fees and completing two-year diploma programs, hundreds of former students are receiving sudden Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) refusals from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The controversy has sparked continuous 24/7 demonstrations in Northeast Calgary, busloads of protesting students traveling to Portage College’s Lac La Biche campus, and a round-the-clock hunger strike launched by desperate graduates demanding administrative fairness.
As public outcry grows, prominent community figures are stepping up to support the movement. Addressing a large gathering of affected international students, Happy Mann, accompanied by Jatinder Tatla from UCP party , offered strong words of solidarity and practical advocacy. Happy Mann directly addressed the crowd, assuring students that they will personally ensure their voices, grievances, and demands for justice are escalated directly to the appropriate governmental leadership and decision-making departments. Mann stated during his address that they are actively working to take student concerns straight to leadership and immigration authorities, adding that on a personal basis, he is committed to offering every possible support within his capacity to help students through this difficult period.
At the core of the dispute are graduates who completed business management and continuing education programs offered through public-private partnerships, including Portage College delivered via the Canadian Institute of Osteopathic Therapy (CIOT) in Calgary. Refusal notices issued by IRCC cite technicalities, stating that the completed programs are considered non-credit, rendering graduates ineligible under federal PGWP guidelines. Students argue that when they enrolled between 2023 and early 2024, institutional assurances and established precedent promised full PGWP eligibility. While earlier cohorts in identical programs received three-year work permits, current graduates face sudden rejections following online guidance clarifications published by IRCC. Affected graduate and student advocate Sikander, Ashish & Sukmani
called the situation a betrayal of thousands of international students, emphasizing that it is a human crisis where students face loss of legal status, loss of employment, financial devastation, and total uncertainty after fulfilling their end of the commitment.
In an exclusive analysis for National Times Media, Eshita Dawra from Khullar Law Firm provided a direct breakdown of the situation, urging students to act with immediate precision under Canadian immigration law rather than relying solely on public demonstrations. To support the affected community without adding financial strain, Eshita Dawra announced that she is ready to provide free initial guidance and legal advice to impacted graduates so they can assess their files, review their GCMS notes, and make informed decisions moving forward.
Dawra emphasized that while street protests generate critical political awareness, visa officers and federal judges evaluate cases strictly based on statutory law and administrative reasonableness. For refusals issued inside Canada, students generally face an unforgiving 15-day statutory deadline from the date of refusal to file an application for Leave and Judicial Review at the Federal Court. Furthermore, the moment a PGWP refusal is issued, maintained work authorization ends immediately, making it illegal to continue working without valid authorization. Affected graduates must immediately apply for an alternative temporary status, such as a Visitor Record, to maintain legal residence in Canada while pursuing formal requests for case reconsideration or judicial review. Additionally, local Members of Parliament can submit constituency inquiries directly to IRCC to flag systemic inconsistencies, offering another avenue to ensure files are properly examined.
