Hundreds of international students are calling on the Canadian government to immediately halt the bulk denial of post-graduation work permit applications for students in Alberta, which they say have been wrongfully refused.
Approximately 500 international graduates from continuing education courses at Portage College have held rallies across Alberta in recent weeks demanding answers regarding why their permits were denied.
The students – some of whom staged a hunger strike in Calgary – have said they were promised PGWP eligibility when they started their non-credit courses in 2024, provided they met the necessary criteria.
But hundreds have seen their permits refused, following an update from IRCC stating that that all non-credit courses, other than flight school, are not PGWP eligible.
While the update came on June 24, IRCC said the guidance marked a clarification of existing requirements and that the students would not be grandfathered under previous rules.
“It has always been the case that non-credit are not entitled to these PGWP, so we’ve not changed any eligibility for that,” said Lena Diab, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, at a press conference on July 28.
But the impacted students have launched a petition, backed by regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC) Dimple Verma, to halt the bulk refusals and “reverse the unpublished policy change quietly added to the IRCC website”.
Despite IRCC maintaining it has not changed eligibility requirements, the students argue the “non-credit” rule is a webpage edit, not a regulation, and that they applied for their PGWP within the required window, under the rules that existed at the time of enrolment.
What this situation reveals is a failure of coordination between provincial and federal governments
Matthew McDonald, RCIC
According to Portage College student union, some 1,500 graduates have been impacted across Canada, though The PIE Newsis not aware of affected individuals outside of Alberta at this time.
Elsewhere, experts have said IRCC’s June 2026 update appeared to be clarifying in writing what was previously assumed to be self-evident, though reviews of previous PGWP guidelines show no explicit language excluding “non-credit programs”.
“The PGWP program guidelines regularly refer to credits in a way that assumes readers understand that a PGWP-eligible program involves grades, courses, and academic credits that lead to a particular credential,” Matthew McDonald RCIC told The PIE.
He called the incident a “failure of government communication” regarding assumptions that had not been articulated clearly in the program guidelines, and said applicants shouldn’t be penalised.
Moreover, he said he couldn’t find evidence of Portage College providing international student immigration advising to its students, which, he said “should be a mandatory requirement for any DLI that has the privilege of accepting international students”.
“The fact that it is not mandatory is a failure of policy – and decision-making at both the federal and provincial levels. This failure is what has brought us here today,” stated McDonald.
In Canada, sector stakeholders have long called for better communication between provincial and federal governments, with education under the jurisdiction of the ten provinces and territories, running distinct systems.
Amid a turbulent period of policy changes impacting Canada’s International Student Program, the government updated the list of PGWP-eligible programs in June last year, with the rules applying to international students who applied for a study permit on or after November 1, 2024.
The government has said changes are necessary to reduce Canada’s international student body and return it to “sustainable” levels, but critics highlight widespread confusion and uncertainty caused by repeated policy tweaks.
IRCC spokesperson Briannah Dale said the agency worked closely with provinces and territories “to help ensure institutions receive clear and consistent information about PGWP eligibility requirements”.
She explained the June 2026 clarification was done in response to stakeholder feedback, adding that other work permit options might be available to those denied a PGWP.
“Behind every application is a person, a family and important plans for the future, and we understand there are questions about the program requirements,” Dale added.
Portage College corporate communications manager Jaime Davies said the institutions understood the “stress and uncertainty” of PGWP application outcomes, reiterating it has no influence over immigration decisions.
They said the college continued to seek clarification of the situation with government and encouraged affected graduates with questions to contact a licensed immigration lawyer or regulated consultant.
According to local media reports, roughly 50 individuals on the same courses were approved for work permits, adding to confusion. Those who were refused now have 90 days from the end of their course before their visas expire.
