‘More worried about changes in study, work visa than politics’: Indian students in Canada

Recently, while the reports of Trudeau’s party workers demanding his resignation started floating, the Liberal Party of Canada candidate issued a statement on X claiming that the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada will now be reduced.

“We’re going to have fewer temporary foreign workers in Canada. We’re bringing in stricter rules for companies to prove why they can’t hire Canadian workers first,” he posted on X.

The diplomatic ties between India and Canada have been taking a turn for worse for a few weeks, as a similar issue had rocked the relations last year at the same time. Experts assume that this would scare the Indian students who are already in Canada, or those who are now making their future plans. Indian students, however, are more worried about the lack of jobs and ‘non-friendly’ immigration rules.

“Two of my daughters are already in Canada — the older one works in the administrative department of an Ottawa-based security company, and the second one is pursuing a diploma in accounting from Montreal. Thankfully, they have not faced any such issue of racism or unpleasantness from the locals. My youngest daughter is also planning to head to Canada next year,” said Monica from Karnal.

What worries the family more is the tightening of rules for work visas. “We invest so much money in sending our children to Canada because we know that they will be able to secure a job there. But if the government is planning to bring unnecessary hiccups, then we will have to start looking elsewhere too,” said Monica.

This sentiment is common among parents, students and even study abroad experts. More so now as Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail recently reported that Ottawa is preparing to announce a significant reduction in the number of permanent residents it plans to admit.

According to the newspaper, the number of permanent residents will drop from 4,85,000 this year to 3,95,000 in 2025, with further cuts to 3,80,000 in 2026 and 3,65,000 in 2027, based on information from a senior government source.

Study abroad experts claim that parents and students who have inquired about study in Canada programmes in the past month have been more worried about IRCC’s changes in the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) programme, rather than the politics of the two countries.

“Students who are applying for Canadian student visas are more worried about the changes being brought in by Trudeau’s government. They are concerned about the incoming cap on international students with revised criteria, which will be in place from November 1. They are also worried about the changes introduced in PGWP’s language requirements, proof of language ability and field of study requirement. Rather than the ongoing diplomatic tension or the incoming elections, Indian students are bothered whether they will get part-time jobs or PGWP,” said Nitika, a study abroad expert from Karnal.

Other experts, however, believe that there should not be a cause of fear among Indian students. “I think wrong messaging is going out to students. Indians should see this more as an opportunity, rather than a hurdle. In Canada, the higher education sector is divided into two types — colleges and universities. There have been no changes to PGWP in the universities sector, In colleges, too, the programmes are now being aligned with the market demand to qualify for a PGWP. That makes the whole system so transparent in terms of employability. Students should understand that the process is clearer and easier now, as they can easily see which programmes lead to what kind of jobs and then apply accordingly,” said Ganga Dandapani, chief operating officer of study abroad consultancy Canam.

Some students who will be heading to Canada next year are worried that the new changes may affect them badly. “If I plan to head to Canada next winter, then I am more prone to facing issues in finding a job than the students who are already there, or who may head to Canada in 2026. I am thinking of postponing my plans by a year, but I am worried about losing my chance too,” said a 20-year-old from Jalandhar.

While students are not too fazed about the current political issues, experts have observed that students have become more vigilant. “The questions students are asking are more about employment options after study and as compared to earlier as they look for a great rate of interest,” added Ganga.

A Delhi-based student who is now planning to head abroad for a study-abroad programme also shared that the number of questions he had listed down at the beginning of this year have doubled now. “In the beginning of this year, I noted down 7-8 points that I wanted to ask study abroad experts. Now with all the developments and changes, the number of queries that I and my parents have have crossed 20 already. My folks are also worried about things such as monetary return, my safety, accommodation etc. So those things have also been added to the list now,” said the 18-year-old.

Some Indian students who are now trying to shift from a student visa to work visa, or from a recent work visa to a Permanent Residency (PR) programme, believe that the recent tensions might be making the process slower for them — intentionally or unintentionally.

Manpreet, who is currently in Canada, says…. came to the country in 2021 and pursued a course in Human Resources management there. “I applied for a PR and an extension of my work permit at the same time through the PNP programme. However, IRCC rejected it by stating that my PNP certificate is not valid, which should have been informed to me while document verification was going on, and not after three months. I am currently on implied status as I re-applied for my work permit extension. It’s taking longer now, as compared to earlier. It’s been over 113 days now, and there has been no update from IRCC,” said Manpreet.