Canada Work Permit: Indians to Face Legal Status Risk in 2026?

Indian immigrants to Canada could be the worst hit in 2026 with many of their work permits getting expired.

According to reports, over 3,15,000 work permits would expire between January and March 2026. In the last quarter of 2025, more than 2,91,000 work permits expired, making them lose legal status.

Canada is likely to see a surge in the undocumented residents as millions of work permits expired in 2025 and many more would expire this year. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows about 1,053,000 work permits expired by 2025 end, while another 927,000 are set to expire in 2026.

According to the law, when a work permit expires, the person concerned loses legal status unless they secure another visa route or transition to permanent residency. However, Canada’s tightening immigration policies, reduced intake targets, and processing delays have made these transitions increasingly difficult for temporary workers and international students.

It is estimated that by mid-2026, over two million people could be living in Canada without legal status and Indian account for half of it.

Significantly, Indians make up a major share of workers and students in Canada. If the work permit expires, the transitions become tighter and the bottlenecks regarding processing can push many into a grey zone, seeking work or employed but not having valid status.

Reportedly, encampments were seen in wooden areas giving shelter to the undocumented people.