International Students in Canada Stage Hunger Strike Over Mass Work Permit Denials
Hundreds of international graduates in Calgary and Edmonton are in their fifth day of demonstrations after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) rejected a wave of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) applications, in a dispute that has escalated from a hunger strike into a sustained street protest.
The affected graduates completed diploma programmes delivered through Portage College and the College Institute of Osteopathic Therapy (CIOT) in partnership arrangements in Calgary and Edmonton. Student organizers estimate that as many as 1,500 international graduates — many of them Indian nationals — have had their PGWP applications refused after IRCC classified the programmes as “non-credit,” a category that does not qualify graduates for the work permit.
What happened
The protest began on July 24, 2026, when a small group of affected graduates launched a hunger strike, which by Monday had grown into a demonstration drawing hundreds of protesters near Saddletowne Circle in Calgary. Community leaders — including local MPs, MLAs and the head of a Gurdwara committee — visited the protest site and appealed to demonstrators to end the hunger strike over concerns for their health, while pledging to help pursue a resolution.
Affected students say they enrolled in these programmes, paid international tuition fees and, in some cases, began working while their applications were under review, only to later learn their programmes were considered ineligible. Some have since taken their cases to Federal Court, while others have sought help from immigration lawyers or filed for reconsideration.
IRCC’s position
IRCC maintains that no rule has actually changed. The department has said its June 2026 update to eligibility guidance was a clarification of existing requirements around non-credit programmes, not a new policy, and stressed that graduates must confirm their specific programme of study — not just their institution — qualifies for a PGWP. IRCC added that it continues to process applications consistently under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The institutions respond
Portage College has said it has no role in IRCC’s review or decision-making process on individual immigration applications and has directed affected graduates to independent immigration lawyers for guidance.
Why it matters
The PGWP is a key pathway for international graduates seeking Canadian work experience, which in turn often supports a route to permanent residency through programmes such as the Canadian Experience Class. The Calgary and Edmonton protests follow a broader pattern this year of Canadian immigration disputes affecting international students — including protests in Ottawa in January over reduced permanent residence targets, and demonstrations in Montreal in July after several private colleges had their permits suspended by the Quebec government, leaving students there similarly in limbo over their status.
As of this week, the dispute remains unresolved, with affected students continuing to press for a review of the denials and a fair pathway to remain in Canada.
