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 to repay. 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.
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In an interview with CityNews, Samir said he and his peers were relaxed after their course and were waiting for their work permits to come so that they could start working in Canada and gain Canadian experience. But there was a mass 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.
