New Delhi – Canada is facing an unprecedented immigration crisis as nearly one million Indian nationals are at risk of Indians losing legal status Canada by mid-2026. Data obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals that approximately 1,053,000 work permits expired by the end of 2025, with another 927,000 set to expire in 2026, creating a massive bottleneck in the country’s immigration system.
Mississauga-based immigration consultant Kanwar Seirah obtained these statistics and shared them, highlighting the severity of the situation facing temporary foreign workers and international students. The crisis of Indians losing legal status Canada represents nearly half of all individuals expected to become undocumented in the country.
Understanding the Legal Status Crisis
As work permits expire, holders automatically lose their legal status unless they successfully secure another visa or transition to permanent residency. However, these pathways have become increasingly restricted as the Canadian government continues to tighten immigration rules, particularly targeting temporary workers and international students.
The government has also introduced new measures to manage asylum claims, further complicating the situation for those seeking to maintain legal status. The phenomenon of Indians losing legal status Canada stems directly from these stricter regulations combined with the natural expiration cycle of work permits issued in previous years.
Unprecedented Numbers Create System Bottleneck
Immigration consultant Kanwar Seirah warned that Canada has never faced such high numbers of people losing their legal status simultaneously. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, nearly 315,000 work permit expiries are expected, creating what experts describe as a severe “bottleneck” in the immigration system.
By comparison, the last quarter of 2025 saw over 291,000 expiries. This dramatic increase demonstrates how the crisis of Indians losing legal status Canada is accelerating at an alarming rate, overwhelming the capacity of immigration authorities to process applications and provide alternative pathways for affected individuals.
Conservative Estimates Point to Two Million Undocumented
Seirah estimates that by mid-2026, at least two million people in Canada could be living without legal status, with Indian nationals accounting for roughly half of this number. He described the figure for Indians losing legal status Canada as a “very conservative estimate,” noting that tens of thousands of study permits will also expire during this period.
Many asylum applications may also face rejection, adding to the number of individuals without legal documentation. The scale of this crisis represents an unprecedented challenge for both the affected individuals and Canadian immigration authorities tasked with managing the situation.
Social Impact in Greater Toronto Area
The growth of the undocumented population has already caused visible social issues in parts of the Greater Toronto Area, including Brampton and Caledon. Tent encampments have appeared in wooded areas, housing people who are undocumented and struggling to survive without legal status.
Brampton-based journalist Nitin Chopra documented one such tent city and reported anecdotal information that individuals experiencing Indians losing legal status Canada were working for cash payments in the underground economy. Additionally, unscrupulous operators have allegedly opened bureaus facilitating marriages of convenience as desperate individuals seek any pathway to legal status.
Economic and Social Consequences
The crisis of Indians losing legal status Canada extends beyond individual hardship to broader social and economic implications. People without legal status cannot access regular employment, healthcare, or social services, pushing them into vulnerable situations where exploitation becomes common.
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The underground economy grows as employers take advantage of workers desperate for income, offering below-minimum wages and unsafe working conditions. This situation creates a parallel society of undocumented individuals living in fear while contributing to the economy without protection or recognition.
Activist Groups Mobilize for Reform
Groups such as the Naujawan Support Network, which advocates for workers’ rights, are planning protests in January to highlight the crisis caused by expiring permits. Bikramjit Singh, a Toronto-based activist with the Network, explained they are working to “build momentum” to address the plight of immigrant workers without legal pathways to remain in Canada.
The Network’s campaign slogan, “Good enough to work, good enough to stay,” reflects its call for comprehensive reforms that would allow temporary workers and students to remain legally in the country. These activists argue that individuals experiencing Indians losing legal status Canada have contributed significantly to the Canadian economy and deserve pathways to permanent residency.
Systemic Immigration Policy Challenges
The crisis highlights fundamental tensions in Canada’s immigration system. The country has relied heavily on temporary foreign workers and international students to fill labor shortages and support the education sector. However, the pathway from temporary to permanent status has not kept pace with the number of individuals entering through these programs.
As a result, Indians losing legal status Canada reflects a systemic failure to align temporary immigration programs with realistic pathways to permanent residency. The government’s recent tightening of rules appears to have exacerbated rather than solved underlying issues.
Looking Ahead: Need for Comprehensive Solutions
The situation of Indians losing legal status Canada requires immediate attention and comprehensive policy reforms. Solutions must address both the immediate crisis of expiring permits and the long-term structural issues in Canada’s immigration system. Without intervention, the country faces the prospect of a large undocumented population living in precarious conditions, unable to fully contribute to society while remaining vulnerable to exploitation.
