Amid protests by worldwide college students, together with many from India, over difficulties acquiring post-graduation work permits, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has reiterated that college students who come to Canada on non permanent research visas ought to go away the nation when their visas expire in the event that they haven’t secured everlasting residency.
“A scholar visa is a short lived doc to check in Canada. That was at all times understood,” Danielle Smith mentioned in an X submit.
“Our universities and faculties have been constructed by Alberta taxpayers, at first for Alberta college students. The place there’s room for worldwide college students, the phrases are easy. Earn your training, then return house to construct a life with it,” she added. Smith additionally urged that Canada wants an immigration system that follows clearly outlined guidelines.
The feedback come amid rising considerations over worldwide college students being promised pathways to everlasting residency that won’t exist.
Portage Faculty controversy
Smith was talking within the context of protests by worldwide college students, lots of them from India, who studied at Portage Faculty and have reported issues acquiring Publish-Commencement Work Permits (PGWPs). Smith rejected the outline of Portage Faculty as a “diploma mill”, however acknowledged that programmes which will have overstated immigration alternatives. “There have been cases the place unscrupulous operators have arrange diploma-granting packages and brought benefit of scholars.
“Our view is that when you come right here as a world scholar and your visa expires and you do not have everlasting residency, it’s essential to go house,” she mentioned.
A scholar visa is a short lived doc to check in Canada. That was at all times understood.
Our universities and faculties have been constructed by Alberta taxpayers, at first for Alberta college students. The place there’s room for worldwide college students, the phrases are easy. Earn your… pic.twitter.com/271cT8RQnu
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) August 12, 2026
Canada warns college students about unauthorised work
The broader backdrop is a more durable Canadian immigration system. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has warned that working with out correct authorisation can have serious consequences, together with elimination from Canada, a five-year ban on returning to the nation and a everlasting fraud flag on an immigration report. Unauthorised work may also have an effect on future visa and everlasting residency functions.
IRCC says its reforms are geared toward defending college students and bettering the integrity of the worldwide scholar programme.
College students planning to check in Canada ought to observe that admission to a Canadian school or college doesn’t robotically imply a piece allow or everlasting residency. IRCC itself advises college students to confirm their establishment, perceive their programme’s eligibility and be cautious of anybody promising assured immigration outcomes. College students might want to look past admission presents and punctiliously verify what their chosen programme really permits them to do after commencement.
