Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Alberta Premier Urges Students With Expired Visas To Go Home
Some people come to Canada from other countries to go to college.
They get a special paper, called a student visa, that lets them stay while they study.
When school ends, that paper runs out.
Some students hoped they could stay and work in Canada forever.
The leader of a Canadian province named Alberta said that is not how it works.
She said if your study visa is over and you do not get permission to stay, you must go home.
Some students are upset because they feel they were promised the chance to stay.
The government says students should come to learn and then return home with what they learned.
Canada also says working without permission can get you into big trouble, like being banned from coming back for five years.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said international students whose study visas expire without permanent residency should leave Canada.
Smith rejected the 'diploma mill' description of Portage College but acknowledged programmes that may have overstated immigration opportunities.
International students, many from India, protested difficulties obtaining Post-Graduation Work Permits after studying at Portage College.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) warned that unauthorised work can lead to removal from Canada, a five-year re-entry ban, and a permanent fraud flag.
IRCC advises students to verify institutions and be wary of anyone promising guaranteed immigration outcomes.
- Who
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, international students (many from India) who studied at Portage College, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
- What
- Smith reiterated that students on temporary study visas whose visas expire without permanent residency must go home, amid protests over post-graduation work permit difficulties.
- When
- Exact date not specified in the article; the comments come amid ongoing protests by international students.
- Where
- Alberta, Canada, involving Portage College and the wider Canadian immigration system.
- Why
- Because a study visa is a temporary document, and officials say students who have not secured permanent residency must return home once their visa expires, partly due to concerns about overstated immigration opportunities.
International students
Alberta government and IRCC
Pathway to permanent residency
International students
Students feel they were promised pathways to permanent residency that may not exist and want to stay and work after their studies.
Alberta government and IRCC
A study visa is temporary; students should earn their education and return home, with Canada needing clearly defined immigration rules.
Portage College programmes
International students
Students who studied at Portage College report problems obtaining post-graduation work permits and feeling taken advantage of.
Alberta government and IRCC
Smith rejects the 'diploma mill' label but acknowledges some programmes overstated immigration opportunities and that unscrupulous operators have exploited students.
- Premier
- Danielle Smith (Alberta, Canada)
- College involved
- Portage College
- Affected students
- International students, many from India
- Key issue
- Difficulties obtaining Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs)
- Government stance
- Students without permanent residency must go home when their visas expire
- IRCC warning
- Unauthorised work can lead to removal from Canada, a five-year re-entry ban, and a permanent fraud flag
- IRCC advice
- Verify institutions and be wary of anyone promising guaranteed immigration outcomes