Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has told international students whose visas expire without permanent residency that they “need to go home”, as more than 450 international graduates, mostly from Punjab, India, protesting in Calgary say they are not asking for permanent residency — only the chance to gain Canadian work experience.
Smith said a student visa was always intended to be temporary and defended Alberta’s approach to international education.
“A student visa is a temporary document to study in Canada. That was always understood.”
“Where there is room for international students, the terms are simple. Earn your education, then return home to build a life with it,” Smith added.
But protesters say the issue is not about demanding permanent residency.
“Nobody is asking for permanent residency. We’re asking for the opportunity to get Canadian experience through the work permit,” organiser Jaskirat Kaur told LiveWire Calgary.
The students say more than 450 post-graduation work permit applications have been refused and argue that graduates from the same programmes have received different decisions.
The dispute has particular relevance for international students from countries such as India, which has been one of Canada’s largest sources of international students.
Smith also rejected the description of Portage College as a “diploma mill”, although she acknowledged that some education operators had taken advantage of students and said the college may have overstated pathways to permanent residency.
“If you come here as an international student and your visa expires and you don’t have permanent residency, you need to go home.”
She added that Alberta should have pathways for graduates with skills needed by the province.
The distinction is important: post-graduation work permits are a federal responsibility, administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, rather than the Alberta government. Alberta does, however, control provincial nominations for permanent residency through its Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, within an annual allocation set by Ottawa.
The protests highlight a growing debate in Canada over whether international students should be viewed primarily as temporary students or as potential members of the country’s future workforce.
For many international students, particularly those who have paid substantial tuition fees and completed Canadian qualifications, the immediate issue is not permanent residency but whether they will be allowed to remain long enough to gain work experience after graduation.
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