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Students struggle as policies change

Dr Neelam Batra Verma

The Canadian government’s recent decision to limit the number of international students entering the country and end the policy allowing Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) extensions has placed thousands of students in an uncertain and precarious situation.

For months, international students have been protesting across Ontario, demanding the government address their concerns. The PGWP, a critical step toward gaining Permanent Residency (PR), has long been a lifeline for students seeking a future in Canada.

However, under the new rules, starting November 1st, only graduates from certain specified programs will be eligible for a PGWP. This policy shift, along with a planned 10 percent reduction in study permits by 2025, threatens to derail the hopes of many who view Canada as a beacon of opportunity.

The situation has sparked widespread unrest and anxiety among international students, who now face a narrowing path to securing their future in Canada.

Protests Grow as Work Permit Expirations Loom

Says Jaspreet Singh of the International Student Sikh Federation, “We are one of the groups organizing the protest, around the PGWP issue, though I have been warning the students about the impending issue since last year,” he explains.

“Initially, there were about 70,000 students whose work permits were expiring, but now the media reports that this number has risen to 130,000.” This number is only expected to grow, with another wave of students entering the same precarious situation in the coming years.

The Changing Rules and Challenges for PR Applicants

Jaspreet asserts that due to rules changing, many students are not able to meet the conditions of obtaining PR. “Students need to have 12 months of work experience in their field to apply for PR, but the rules keep changing. Someone could spend ten months working as a welder, only for the government to say, ‘We don’t need welders anymore; now we need bakers.’

This leaves students in a limbo, unable to secure PR within the limited timeframe of their work permit,” Jaspreet explains. This policy volatility is not only confusing but damaging, as students cannot chase jobs or constantly switch professions.

“The government needs to be transparent. Once they announce a quota or number of PRs to be given, they should stick to it instead of changing the rules,” he emphasizes.

Impact on South Asian Students and Pandemic Contributions

The international student population in Canada is undoubtedly diverse, yet the challenges faced by students from South Asia—particularly Punjab—are unique and most vulnerable to shifting immigration policies. “Most of the students whose work permits are expiring this year came to Canada between 2019 and 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These students worked all sorts of jobs to support themselves and were crucial to the Canadian economy, yet they are now the ones facing uncertainty,” he explains. “Back in 2018-2020, 850,000 students came to Canada, with a majority from India. These students are now graduating, but their prospects for a PR remain slim.” It cannot be forgotten that these students were the ones working at grocery stories, petrol pumps and other essential jobs when most Canadians were hiding in their homes during the pandemic.

Basically, these students had at the time, ensured the economy going at the cost of their own health and now these students, ironically face deportation.

No Way Back: The Struggles of Returning to India

For many, returning to India is not an option. Jaspreet points out that unlike students from wealthier countries like China, where some have the resources to return home and rebuild their lives, the students from Punjab have sacrificed everything to come to Canada.

“Most of these students have sold their family lands and properties to pay for their education here. For them, there is no going back. They came with the promise of a better future, and now they’re stuck in a system that keeps moving the goalposts.”

Parental Anxiety and Desperate Measures

The strain extends far beyond the students themselves. Jaspreet describes how the parents of these students are deeply distressed. “They are really stressed. As options narrow, many students are resorting to extreme measures to stay in Canada.

Their children have only a few options left: apply for asylum in Canada, cross the border into the United States illegally, or pay exorbitant fees to extend their stay through the LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) process. None of these are real solutions.

The mainstream media has covered the rise in Indians crossing into the U.S. illegally. Students are desperate, and when their work permits expire, they feel like they have no other choice.”

High Costs and Uncertain Future

According to Jaspreet, the LMIA process can cost students upwards of $30,000 to $40,000, just to buy time. “It’s not even a guaranteed solution. Laws could change again, and these students would find themselves in the same predicament a couple of years later,” he says.

The idea of returning to India, after having invested so much into coming to Canada, feels humiliating. “Going back would be seen as a failure, both personally and in the eyes of their community.

Many of these students face immense pressure from their families, who sold their lands and properties in Punjab to fund their children’s education. There’s nothing for them back in India. Many students who were lucky to gain admission in recognized universities, may not be in the same situation as many of us. Most of the students protesting are from private institutes.”

Political Hesitation and Blame Game

This issue, Jaspreet argues, is deeply political. With elections around the corner, the government is hesitant to take decisive action on the PGWP and PR pathways, fearing the political backlash. “The government doesn’t want to make a decision that could hurt their chances in the upcoming elections,” he says.

Students are being blamed for the economic slowdown in Canada, exacerbated by rising interest rates and the housing crisis, has added fuel to the fire.

International students, Jaspreet claims, are being unfairly blamed for the country’s economic struggles. “We are being thrown under the bus. Students were the backbone of the economy during COVID-19, but now, with the economy slowing down and jobs becoming scarcer, they are being scapegoated.”

Lack of Transparency in Immigration Policy

The core of the problem lies in the lack of transparency and predictability in immigration policy. Provincial and federal programs for PR are in constant flux, making it difficult for students to plan their futures.

“The Canadian experience clause was added just a few months ago, but before that, rules were different,” Jaspreet notes. “Provincial programs are even more inconsistent than federal ones. At the end of the day, it’s the students who are suffering.”

Jaspreet also highlights how students are often misled by immigration consultants in India, who paint a rosy picture of life in Canada. “The consultants lure students by promising easy pathways to PR, but once they arrive, they realize the reality is much different.

Many of them are left to fend for themselves, with no clear idea of how to navigate the system.”

The Emotional and Financial Stakes for Students

Given the significant financial burden, one might wonder why students continue to spend large sums of money to come to Canada when they could potentially invest that money into businesses in India. Jaspreet provides a nuanced answer: “Yes, India is developing, and opportunities are opening up. But most of these students are from Punjab, where there’s a lack of trust in the government, the police, and the bureaucracy.

Many of these parents lived through the political unrest and turmoil of the 80s and 90s in Punjab, and they want a better, safer future for their children.” Political instability, combined with economic challenges in Punjab, drives many to seek opportunities abroad, even at great personal cost.

“Parents are willing to invest everything to get their children out of Punjab, even if it means facing an uncertain future in Canada. Look at the political future of the state when the Chief Minister of the state loses to an anti-social element. How can a state thrive under these so-called political leaders.”

The situation facing international students in Canada, particularly those from Punjab, is a stark reminder of the complex and often inconsistent immigration policies that govern their lives.

These students are not merely numbers but individuals who have invested everything—emotionally, financially, and physically—in the hope of building a future in Canada. As Singh emphasizes, they deserve more transparency, fairness, and support from a system that seems to be shifting the goalposts continuously.

Till the time of posting, an interview request to Immigration Minister Marc Miller was not returned.

Canada has long positioned itself as a welcoming nation for immigrants and international students, but the growing crisis highlights cracks in this image.

As political and economic pressures mount, it is crucial for the Canadian government to recognize the contributions of these students and provide them with a clear and consistent pathway to Permanent Residency.

By doing so, the country can ensure that the dreams of these students are not lost to bureaucratic uncertainty and policy changes.

The stories of these students are not just about immigration—they are about resilience, sacrifice, and the pursuit of a better life. Canada owes it to them to uphold its values of fairness and opportunity.

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