Portage College advises protesting students to contact MPs regarding work permits

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Portage College in Lac La Biche, Canada, advised students denied post-graduation work permits (PGWP) to contact their local Members of Parliament for assistance in navigating the federal immigration process. This guidance followed widespread refusals issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in July 2024 to students who completed programs that were rendered ineligible for permits due to policy changes. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith addressed the protests by stating that student visas are temporary and do not guarantee work permits, emphasizing that international students should return home after completing their education. The college acknowledged that it was unaware of the policy changes that disqualified specific non-credit programs and noted that it has no control over federal immigration decisions.

Consequences

Students will likely face continued uncertainty regarding their legal work status as they attempt to advocate for their cases through individual MPs. The conflict between provincial expectations and federal policy, combined with the college's inability to resolve the permit rejections, suggests that impacted graduates may be forced to leave Canada if their appeals to the federal government fail.

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