Samir Garhwal, an Indian student who got his degree from Canada’s controversial Portage College, said he is in a worse situation now after completing his course than he was two years ago when he came to a new country with an education loan on his head to study. As thousands of Portage College students were denied work permits in Canada, they have two options left in front of them: going back to India or legally challenging the IRCC’s decision to deny them work permits.In an interview with CityNews, Samir said he and his peers were relaxed after their course and was waiting for their work permits to come so that they could start working in Canada and gain Canadian experience. But there was an en masse rejection of work permits, leading to the students protesting against the college and Canadian immigration. But as of now, there has been no solution.Canada identified some courses as eligible for a work permit and some as ineligible. There was a change of rule in 2024 that made many courses of this particular college ineligible, but these students enroled in the courses before that date in 2024 and were in the dark about their future in Canada for the last two years.“I already took an education loan in India, and in my current situation, I am not willing to or don’t have the courage to get another loan,” Garhwal, who said he was working while studying in Canada, confessed.For Garhwal and many others, going back to India is the only plausible option as the legal option involves more money. Garhwal has set up a fundraiser to pay his education loan. “Three years ago, I moved to Canada with the hope of building a better future through education and hard work. I have worked toward my studies while managing the challenges of living in a new country, including tuition, living expenses, and other essential costs,” Garhwal wrote in the fundraiser.
Row over Portage College degrees
Portage College said they were still seeking clarification on the denial of the work permits for its students. “We are continuing to seek clarification on the Post Graduation Work Permit issue. As each day goes by, we understand the uncertainty that grows for many of our affected graduates as we endeavour to clarify factual and sourced details. We remain committed to informing the public about new developments to the issue,” said Portage College Vice President Academics and Research Dr Donna Feledichuk. “We also encourage affected graduates to seek professional advice from certified immigration specialists.”Juno News reported that the Canadian Institute of Osteopathic Therapy (CIOT) in Calgary, the private college that partnered with Portage College, has two directors tied to a Punjabi recruitment firm whose director was arrested in India during a 2013 police investigation into alleged student immigration fraud.
