International students who graduated from a Calgary college are urging the federal government to reverse work permit changes made before their enrollment but now applied to them, resulting in hundreds of denied extensions.

Upwards of 480 students who completed their studies in various continuing education programs at Portage College, delivered through the Canadian Institute of Osteopathic Therapy (CIOT), came together on July 17 to announce that they believe their work permits have been wrongfully refused.

Sikander Singh, now a holder of an Administrative Professional diploma, said that when he and his peers started their non-credit courses in 2024, they were promised post-graduation work permit (PGWP) eligibility upon completing their programs, provided they met the necessary criteria. 

At that point, he said that apart from having a valid study permit and a full-time course load at a designated institution, the only other box that they had to check was enrolling before May 2024, which, Singh said, they did. 

But when they completed their two-year programs and applied for their PGWPs, he said that approximately 50 students were approved, and that the hundreds of others received refusal letters earlier this month.

The students immediately inquired about this with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which, in letters obtained by LWC, said the mass rejections were due to recent policy changes, including that non-credit courses were no longer eligible for work permits. 

Singh said the only alert they had received about eligibility changes was a letter from the college sent earlier this year. It communicated that changes “are being announced,” but provided no details — only an emphasis on maintaining good attendance, academic integrity, and paying tuition fees.

Since the updated guidelines were issued after they enrolled, he said it’s frustrating that the new policy has been applied to them.

“We did everything on time…then we got our refusal letters in the mail,” he said.

“I have no words to explain what we are feeling on this day, because we were supposed to be eligible for our conditional terms.”

Federal immigration department denies changes

According to a timestamp in the work permit information section of the Government of Canada’s website, this modification was made on June 24, years after the students initially started their programs and 18 to 21 months after they submitted their work permit applications.

Despite the website clearly stating that students “aren’t eligible for a PGWP” if they “completed a non-credit program of study” that was not a flight school, the IRCC said in an email statement that “there have been no changes to the eligibility criteria.”

“We updated our PGWP webpage in June 2026 to clarify the existing eligibility requirements related to non-credit programs of study,” read the email statement. 

“To be eligible for a PGWP, applicants must complete a program of study that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate from a designated learning institution.”

Neither Calgary’s Portage College campus nor the CIOT are listed as a designated institution on the federal database, which was modified on July 16.

CIOT’s website has been updated to reflect that students starting after May 2024 will not be eligible for a PGWP, which students said they were aware of, but that the change occurred after they started classes. 

Singh said that students are now under the clock, with 90 days to secure permits before their visas expire. He said that the students’ union has submitted a letter to IRCC requesting a review into the timing of the new guidelines, and that further legal action may follow if that request fails.

Legal action could be another burden to bear

Laura-Anne Goulding, an immigration lawyer with Shory Law LLP, attended the informal media availability and said that their office took on the cases of around 40 students last week. By Friday, she said that the number has reached more than 200 students.

Employees of Portage College refused to speak with the media, but confirmed that the issue is being handled between them and the IRCC. Goulding advised that students should wait until Monday, July 20, for updates before they proceed with further individual action. 

Should that become necessary, she said this would look like a reconsideration process, which must be completed quickly so that students have their work permits approved before their visas expire. 

The students and their families have already spent tens of thousands of dollars to be here; however, Goulding said that some may not pursue judicial means due to concerns about the cost. 

“This seems to be, kind of, a mass refusal, or refusal on similar grounds all around the same time,” she said.

“Other students may just not want to do anything and may just decide to go back home.”

Mukul Rana said that he started classes on May 8, 2024 — just one week before the initial round of policy changes. He said the sudden denials are already affecting international students’ finances. 

“This is a very serious issue, it’s a very serious thing,” he said.

“It’s hard to survive, it’s very hard to manage their bills or expenses or their rents.”

Another student, Jaspinder Kaur, explained that she is an only child whose parents spent a large portion of their money to sponsor her academic pursuits abroad, but that the impact on their wallets is only part of it. 

“We can’t even sleep, we can’t even eat properly,” she said. 

“It’s a depressing moment for us.”