Over 1 million Indian nationals in Canada risk losing legal status as work permits expire in 2026, per IRCC data, amid policy tightenings on immigration.
1 Million+ Indians Face Mass Loss of Legal Status in Canada by Mid-2026:
Newly released data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicates that over 1 million Indian nationals could lose their legal status by mid-2026 if they fail to renew visas or transition to permanent residency. With approximately 1.05 million work permits already expired by the end of 2025 and nearly 927,000 more due in 2026, the situation highlights the human toll of Canada’s recent immigration crackdown. This development raises urgent questions about economic impacts, deportation risks, and the future for temporary workers who have built lives in the country.
ATIP Revelation Exposes Massive Wave of Expiring Permits:
The alarm was raised in late 2025 when an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request unveiled detailed IRCC tables on temporary resident permits. According to the data, shared with media outlets, 1,053,000 work permits expired by December 31, 2025. Of these, a significant portion-estimated at nearly half-were held by Indian nationals, who form the largest group of temporary foreign workers and international students in Canada.
An additional 927,000 permits are slated to expire throughout the year, with the first quarter alone accounting for 314,538. This wave stems from permits issued during a period of relaxed immigration policies from 2021 to 2023, when Canada welcomed record numbers of temporary residents to address labor shortages in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and technology.
Many affected individuals entered Canada on study visas, transitioning to post-graduation work permits that typically last one to three years. With India’s students comprising over 40% of international enrollments in recent years, the expiration cluster disproportionately impacts this demographic. Reports indicate that without successful applications for extensions, open work permits, or permanent residency through programs like Express Entry, holders must leave the country or risk becoming undocumented.
The story gained traction in early January 2026, as media and social platforms amplified the IRCC figures. Videos and infographics depicting long queues at immigration offices and personal stories of uncertainty have circulated widely, underscoring the immediate human impact.
Policy U-Turn: Canada's Immigration Boom Reversed into a Mass Expiration Crisis:
Canada’s immigration landscape has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ramped up temporary resident admissions to bolster economic recovery. In 2022 alone, over 1 million temporary work and study permits were issued, with Indians receiving the lion’s share-around 320,000 study permits that year.
This influx contributed to population growth but strained housing, healthcare, and infrastructure. By 2024, public backlash prompted policy reversals. The government introduced caps on international student permits, reducing allocations by 35% for 2024 and further to 408,000 for 2026, including only 155,000 for new arrivals. Work permit rules were tightened, limiting spousal open work permits and increasing scrutiny on low-wage temporary foreign workers.
For Indian nationals, who number over 1.3 million in Canada as of 2021 census data, this represents a reversal of fortunes. Many came seeking better opportunities amid India’s competitive job market, contributing billions to Canada’s economy through tuition, taxes, and labor. However, the expirations coincide with economic slowdowns, making transitions to permanent status harder-permanent resident admissions are capped at 500,000 for 2026, down from previous highs.
Historically, similar expiration waves have led to voluntary departures, extensions, or, in some cases, overstays. In 2019, pre-pandemic, around 50,000 temporary residents became undocumented annually, per IRCC estimates. The current scale, however, is unprecedented, potentially exacerbating issues like underground economies and exploitation.