Canada's work permits set to expire in 2026: Millions to face legal status risk, Indians likely to be worst hit
PTC News Desk: Canada could witness a sharp rise in the undocumented immigrants as millions of work permits expire this year following significant changes to Canada's immigration rules under Mark Carney administration.
When a work permit expires, a person loses legal status unless they secure another visa route or transition to permanent residency.
According to the data from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, around 1,053,000 work permits expired by the end of 2025. Another 927,000 permits are set to lapse in 2026.
Canada’s opportunities for migrants have become more limited as the government overhauls its immigration system in an effort to reduce overall numbers, especially in non-permanent categories like international students and temporary foreign workers. New steps to lower the number of asylum claims have tightened the system even further.
Mississauga-based immigration consultant Kanwar Seirah said that recent policy changes have made it much more difficult for temporary workers and international students to move into long-term or permanent pathways, creating a bottleneck at a time when Canada is already processing very high numbers of temporary residents.
The rising uncertainty has pushed activist groups to respond. The Naujawan Support Network, which advocates for workers’ rights, is planning protests in January over expiring permits and the shrinking options for migrant workers to stay in Canada legally.
The situation has become riskier due to recent policy decisions under Prime Minister Mark Carney. The government has introduced steep immigration caps through 2028 that affect permanent residents, international students, temporary workers and refugees.
Permanent residency targets are set to drop to 380,000 in 2026, and intake of temporary foreign workers will be cut significantly. Student visas and refugee admissions are also being reduced.
In September, the government announced a major overhaul of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Carney said Canada needed “a focused approach” that better matches labour needs while reducing the strain on housing, infrastructure and public services. He also said the share of non-permanent residents would be reduced from about 7% of the population to 5% by the end of 2027.
- With inputs from agencies
