📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Stephen Richards
Education
Indian Students in Canada Face Growing Work Permit Hurdles, Concerns Rise in Edmonton
✍️ Amar Ujala · Punjab
🗓 22 Aug 2026, 10:09 AM
👁 5
Indian graduates in Canada, particularly from Punjab, are reporting increased difficulty securing post‑study work permits, prompting worries about their immigration status.
Indian students who have completed their degrees in Canada are encountering a sharp rise in obstacles when applying for post‑graduation work permits, a trend that student groups say is especially pronounced among Punjabis. The issue has come to the fore in Edmonton, where several campuses host large numbers of Indian enrolments.
Officials note that recent tightening of immigration rules and backlogs at visa processing centres have lengthened approval times, leaving many graduates in limbo as they await permission to work. The uncertainty is affecting their ability to transition from study visas to open work permits, a step crucial for staying in the country.
Student associations have appealed to Canadian immigration authorities for clearer guidelines and faster processing, warning that prolonged delays could force graduates to return to India or seek alternative pathways, thereby impacting Canada’s talent pipeline.
The situation underscores broader concerns about Canada’s attractiveness to international students, a demographic that has historically contributed significantly to the nation’s skilled‑worker pool.
Officials note that recent tightening of immigration rules and backlogs at visa processing centres have lengthened approval times, leaving many graduates in limbo as they await permission to work. The uncertainty is affecting their ability to transition from study visas to open work permits, a step crucial for staying in the country.
Student associations have appealed to Canadian immigration authorities for clearer guidelines and faster processing, warning that prolonged delays could force graduates to return to India or seek alternative pathways, thereby impacting Canada’s talent pipeline.
The situation underscores broader concerns about Canada’s attractiveness to international students, a demographic that has historically contributed significantly to the nation’s skilled‑worker pool.