Nearly two years after completing a two-year business management programme in Canada, and after waiting almost two years for a decision on his postgraduation work permit (PGWP), Sikandar Singh, a resident of Haryana’s Fatehabad district, received devastating news. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) rejected his application, stating his study programme was classified as a “non-credit course,” rendering him ineligible for a work permit.Non-credit programmes in Canada are short-term educational courses that do not count towards a degree, diploma, or formal academic credit.In another instance, a student whose work permit was issued in May had it abruptly revoked two months later. Immigration officials declared it was granted “in error” and revoked his legal authorisation to work in Canada.Sikandar and his peer are among an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 Indian students, primarily from Punjab, Haryana, and neighbouring northern states, who allege that Canadian immigration authorities are enforcing revised PGWP eligibility rules inconsistently and retroactively.Policy at centre of disputeThe controversy stems from an IRCC policy clarification issued on June 24, 2024, which declared that graduates of non-credit programs would no longer qualify for PGWPs.However, affected students argue they enrolled long before the policy was updated and were repeatedly assured by their institutions that the new restrictions would not apply to existing students. Many completed their studies in 2024, 2025, and early 2026, remaining legally in Canada while awaiting processing.Rejections began rising from July 7, 2026. What frustrates students most is the arbitrariness: several classmates from identical intakes and programs received approvals, while others faced outright rejections or permit revocations.Story continues below this adMany affected students attended CIOT College and Campbell College, institutions operating under public-private partnership agreements with Alberta-based public institution Portage College.“I completed my studies long before this issue surfaced,” Sikandar told The Indian Express. “Our colleges explicitly told us new rules wouldn’t apply to previously enrolled students. We relied on those assurances. What shocks us is that students from our exact program who finished later were granted PGWPs.”Also Read | Canada study permit processing times 2026: What Indian students need to knowCampus closures and appealsRecently, students travelled to Portage College’s main campus in three buses and approximately 60 private vehicles to seek answers. Ashish Boora, a graduate from Rohtak who has been affected by the situation, reported that college officials indicated they had raised the issue with IRCC. However, they confirmed that the final authority rests with federal immigration officers.Worsening the crisis, public support has been minimal. Local lawmakers, including Canadian politicians of Punjabi origin, have largely remained silent.Story continues below this adAddressing the broader issue, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith reiterated her government’s stance, stating that international students whose visas expire without permanent residency cannot expect to remain indefinitely and may have to return home. She noted that some students may have been given “unrealistic expectations”.In response, affected students have submitted a formal representation to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging New Delhi to intervene diplomatically with Canadian authorities.“We are not seeking special treatment,” the representation reads. “We only seek fairness, transparency, and equal treatment under Canadian immigration policies.” A girl extending support to students protesting against work permit rejections (Express photo/Special arrangement).Court battlesHundreds of students are mounting legal challenges in Canadian courts by filing petitions for judicial review. Legal costs range between 3,500 and 5,000 Canadian dollars per applicant. Meanwhile, students are holding demonstrations in Calgary and Edmonton to highlight their plight.Story continues below this adAn immigration lawyer representing several petitioners, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The issue is not whether Canada has the right to update its policy. The question is whether students who completed their programs before the clarification are being treated equitably. That is for the courts to decide.”For many families, returning home empty-handed is financially impossible. “More than 60 per cent of us have taken substantial education loans,” said Ashish. “We have already spent three to four years here. Going back immediately is simply not an option.”With non-credit programme graduates also ineligible for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), experts are advising students to pursue legal review while simultaneously enrolling in fresh academic courses to preserve their legal status. They expressed confidence that students with genuine cases could obtain relief through the legal process.