India Monitors Canada's Work Permit Cliff Impacting 1 Million Nationals

During the Ministry of External Affairs briefing on Canadian PM Mark Carney's official visit to India, Secretary (East) P Kumaran addressed a "status cliff" currently facing the Indian diaspora in Canada as the Mark Carney administration moves to aggressively cool Canada's overheated immigration system. Nearly one million Indian nationals are navigating the expiration of their legal work status this year.

Kumaran noted that India views this as a "sovereign issue," but emphasised that Delhi is "closely watching" the consequences for its citizens.

Kumaran said, "It is natural for various countries to fix their own immigration targets and we will be closely watching it. The Canadians have also fixed their own immigration targets. They would like to bring their non-permanent visa holders to roughly at 5% of their overall population. This is a sovereign issue. They are free to fix the numbers. We will have to try to address the consequences in a way that protects our interests. There is some concern given that a large number of Indian nationals will be affected. We will continue to take them up through diplomatic channels and find a solution that is humane and sensitive to their concern."

Canada has officially moved away from the "expansionist" policies of the early 2020s to reduce the share of "Non-Permanent Residents" (NPRs)--which includes students and work permit holders--from a 2024 peak of 7.6% to just 5% of the total population by the end of 2027.

The scale of the impact on Indian citizens is unprecedented. Approximately 927,000 work permits are set to expire in Canada throughout 2026. Indian nationals hold nearly 50% of these permits.

The first three months of 2026 alone saw nearly 315,000 permits lapse, creating a massive bottleneck in the immigration system.

Many of these permits were "Post-Graduation Work Permits" (PGWP) or emergency pandemic-era extensions that are now reaching their final hard deadlines.

Canada has cut its Permanent Residency (PR) intake to 380,000 per year (down from nearly 500,000). This has intensified competition, leaving many skilled Indians without enough "points" to transition to PR before their work permits expire.

India is encouraging Canada to prioritise those already living and working in the country over new arrivals--a strategy the Carney government has partially adopted by reserving 33,000 PR spots specifically for temporary workers with "strong community roots."

As per new rules about applying at a port of entry for Canada work permit applicants, most foreign nationals already in Canada can no longer apply for a work permit at a port of entry.

One must apply online for an initial work permit and a work permit extension. If someone is outside of Canada, you may still be eligible to apply for a work permit when you arrive at a port of entry.

If someone is in Canada and leaves as a worker on maintained status, they will lose the ability to work when they return. This means you can't work until their application is approved.

A Canada work visa (work permit) requires a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, often with a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Most applicants must apply online through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, providing proof of qualifications, a valid passport, and biometric data. Processing times vary, and one may need to undergo a medical exam.

- ANI