Thousands of immigrants living in Canada—especially Indian nationals—are losing their work permits. The delays in renewing documents, changes in regulations, and prolonged approval processes for employment authorization are preventing them from maintaining their legal status. As a result, even though they continue to pay taxes, many cannot work or access healthcare and other basic services.
One such immigrant is Devi Acharya. She moved to Prince Rupert in British Columbia in October 2022 with her husband and five-year-old son, Navdeb. She worked as a housekeeper at the Highliner Hotel. Recently, the family bought a house to start a new life. However, after her work permit expired, Devi lost her job and has been unable to work since.
A heartbreaking consequence followed—she suffered a miscarriage in March of this year. Without a valid work permit, she had no health insurance and couldn’t go to the hospital. “If I had received timely medical care, maybe I could have saved the baby,” Devi told Reuters.
In September 2024, Devi and her husband applied for a new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), but they have not received any response. Though their application is still pending, their work permits have expired. Legally, they are allowed to stay in Canada, but they are not permitted to work. Their son, Navdeb, is also unable to attend school.
“Two years ago, we thought Canada would be our home. Now that dream is falling apart,” said Devi.
Growing Uncertainty Due to Backlog
The time required to approve LMIA applications has tripled recently. While it took 58 business days in September 2023, by March 2025 it has risen to 165 business days. According to Service Canada, as of April 1, 2025, they are still processing applications submitted in April 2024.
Immigration consultant Kanwar Sirah stated, “For the first time, we are seeing delays of over a year in the application process.” Many people are losing their status and resorting to irregular work or being misled into filing baseless asylum claims.
Government’s Position
Although the Liberal government of Canada had previously promised to regularize undocumented immigrants, they now say the opportunity will be limited to specific sectors. Only certain categories of workers will qualify.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has also pledged to reduce immigration before the upcoming election on April 28.
According to the Canadian government, immigrants who apply for a permit renewal and receive an LMIA within 60 days can continue working. However, there are no clear guidelines for those who lose status due to delays.
Officials say that this crisis has emerged due to rule changes and the increasing number of applicants.