More than 250 Canadian organizations have signed an open letter demanding an independent investigation after the Canada Border Services Agency issued removal orders to 10 international graduates during an August 12, 2026 protest in Calgary. The graduates were contesting Post-Graduation Work Permit rejections tied to a mid-2026 eligibility change. The coalition is asking for the removal orders to be suspended, a formal investigation, clearer protest-related enforcement rules, and a review of the affected graduates’ work permits under the eligibility rules that applied when they enrolled.
What Happened at the August 12 Calgary Protest?
Graduates of vocational programs at Portage College campuses in Calgary and Edmonton gathered to protest after their Post-Graduation Work Permit applications were refused. According to the Canada Border Services Agency’s own account, police attended the demonstration over a sidewalk access issue, after which CBSA officers checked the immigration status of 20 protesters, directed 12 to a CBSA office, and issued exclusion orders to 10 of them the same day. Passports were also seized during the process. The orders were issued while the students’ Federal Court challenges to their PGWP refusals were still pending, and while the students were within a 90-day restoration window.
Why Are the Graduates Losing Their Post-Graduation Work Permits?
The underlying dispute traces back to the programs themselves. The affected graduates completed vocational programs at Portage College that were eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit when they enrolled in 2024, and earlier graduates of the same programs had received permits without issue. On June 24, 2026, new language appeared on the federal immigration website excluding non-credit programs from PGWP eligibility, a term the coalition says appears in no regulation, Canada Gazette notice, or Ministerial Instruction issued before that date. As many as 1,500 graduates nationally may be affected, and hundreds have already been refused after paying more than $30,000 in tuition. Emails uncovered during the dispute reportedly show that federal officials had earlier told the college that currently enrolled students would not be affected and advised them to continue their studies.
What Are Organizations Asking the Federal and Provincial Governments to Do?
The coalition, which includes major civil liberties, labour, faith, migrant rights, and community organizations, is making four specific requests in its open letter to the Prime Minister and the Premier of Alberta: an independent investigation into the conduct of Calgary police and CBSA on August 12; immediate suspension of the 10 removal orders; clear public policy confirming that participation in a protest should not trigger immigration enforcement, regardless of a person’s status; and a review of the Portage College graduates’ work permit applications under the eligibility rules that applied at the time they enrolled.
Their central argument rests on Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for everyone in Canada, regardless of immigration status. The coalition frames the enforcement action as a chilling effect on that right, arguing that migrants, international students, and refugees must be able to participate in public demonstrations without it triggering status checks or removal proceedings.
What Does This Mean for International Students Considering Vocational Programs?
For prospective and current international students, this dispute is a reminder that PGWP eligibility can be affected by policy clarifications issued after enrollment, not only by changes to formal regulations. Non-credit and vocational program structures deserve particular scrutiny before enrollment, including written confirmation from the institution of a program’s current PGWP eligibility status and, where possible, documentation of that confirmation for future reference.
The matter remains before the Federal Court and is the subject of an active public campaign, so outcomes for the affected graduates, and any resulting policy clarification from IRCC, are not yet settled. Students weighing a vocational or college pathway to a Post-Graduation Work Permit should treat eligibility confirmations as something to verify directly and repeatedly, rather than assuming a program’s status will remain unchanged for the duration of their studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
CBSA officers checked the immigration status of protesters at an August 12, 2026 demonstration in Calgary and issued exclusion orders to 10 international graduates whose Post-Graduation Work Permit applications had been refused.
IRCC added language in June 2026 excluding non-credit programs from PGWP eligibility, a criterion the affected graduates say did not exist when they enrolled in 2024.
An independent investigation into the Calgary Police and CBSA’s actions, suspension of the removal orders, clear rules preventing protest from triggering immigration enforcement, and a review of the graduates’ permits under the rules that applied at enrollment.
As many as 1,500 graduates of similar programs may be affected by the policy clarification, with hundreds already refused.
Yes. The removal orders were issued while the graduates’ Federal Court challenges to their PGWP refusals were still pending.
Confirm a program’s Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility directly and in writing before enrolling, and treat that confirmation as something to periodically re-verify rather than assume is permanent.
Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility can shift with policy clarifications, not just formal regulatory changes, and the consequences of getting it wrong are serious. ImmigCanada helps prospective and current international students verify program eligibility before enrolling and plan a PGWP and permanent residence pathway with confidence.
Disclaimer: This Blog is for informational purposes only. ImmigCanada immigration consulting services provides updates based on publicly available information. This content does not constitute any legal advice. For detailed interpretation of any legal violations under Canada’s immigration regulations, readers should refer to official Government of Canada sources or seek qualified legal counsel.