Irum Khan
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its policy to include a provision that renders hundreds of students at Portage College ineligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). On June 24, the IRCC updated its website to explicitly state the ineligibility of students who have “completed a non-credit program of study (except for a flight school program).”
However, the IRCC claims that these rules have been in place since November 2024.
Students question that, if non-credit courses were not eligible for a PGWP, why did the college send an email assuring them that they would be eligible for a PGWP that would allow them to work in Canada?
Further, they claim that the issuance of work permits was inconsistent. In one class, a student was denied a permit, whereas another student in the same class was granted a permit for the same course.
The students have taken to the streets, braving unpredictable weather, including rain, strong winds, and thunderstorms, for the last 10 days to protest the government’s move.
Premier Danielle Smith said in an earlier interview that perhaps the college had overstated the pathway to permanent residency and that she did not believe the college was a diploma mill. An Instagram account commented :
“Portage College is not a diploma mill, but what about CIOT Calgary? Does ownership of the college by unauthorized immigration agents from India meet the definition of ‘unscrupulous operators setting up diploma-granting programs and taking advantage of students’?”
Portage College was affiliated with CIOT Calgary and Campbell College in Edmonton. However, CIOT Calgary stopped enrolling students in May 2024 following changes in government regulations. It claims that the final Portage College intake at the CIOT Calgary campus took place on May 8, 2024. Additionally, Portage College’s partnership with Campbell College ended in April 2026.
In this case, the question is: who will take responsibility for the promises that were made? The IRCC and Portage College must provide evidence to support the statements they claim were made in this context. The students, most of whom are from the Indian diaspora, enrolled in these programs with the understanding that they would be able to work in Canada and repay the loans they had taken to cover their tuition fees. Employment prospects in their home country are also not very promising, as many young people there are protesting what they consider uncertain education and employment policies.
