Article originally posted by Mariane Gravelle from National on November 22nd, 2017. To read the full article, click here. 

“What do you do when an institutional error threatens your livelihood and your right to stay in Canada? This is what many international students are now facing due, in part, to a processing error by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and to ambiguous language.

The CBC reports that students, notably in Alberta, Nova Scotia and Ontario, received the distressing news that they may not be eligible to receive a post-graduate work permit (PGWP). PGWPs allow graduates of Canadian post-secondary institutions to work temporarily in Canada and gain experience that can help them gain their permanent residency.

While the PGWP program is federal, it is up to the provinces to designate eligible institutions and specific programs. The issue in this case stems from the fact that not all post-graduate institutions in Canada – and programs therein – render their graduates eligible for the permits.

Many students choosing to pursue their studies at private career colleges may find themselves ineligible for the permit despite some of their current and past colleagues being granted that same permit. IRCC has claimed that permits issued to non-eligible individuals were issued in error and that steps have been taken to remedy this error in the future…”

Click here to read the rest of the article.