Officials ease students’ visa fears amid strike

Immigration department says international pupils won’t face penalties over delay

Tens of thousands of international students affected by a faculty strike at Ontario colleges are being reassured by immigration officials that they won’t be penalized for a delay that is beyond their control.

But some international students say the work stoppage, which began last Monday, has them worrying about finances as well as their education and immigration status.

“It is very stressful,” said Noble Thomas, 24, a student at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont. Thomas, who came to Canada from India, said each week on strike represents a loss of roughly $800 in tuition fees, not to mention the extra money spent on rent if the semester is prolonged. Schools should give refunds for the time lost, he said — a sentiment expressed by domestic and international students in a petition that had garnered nearly100,000 signatures by Sunday morning.

Several colleges said they recognized the concerns raised by the strike and hoped it would end before the more than 40,000 international students enrolled in Ontario colleges felt financial — or other — difficulties.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is seeking to relieve fears about the fate of students’ visas and permits. “Study permits include the condition that the student must make continual progress toward the completion of their program,” said spokesperson Beatrice Fenelon.

“However, international students whose studies have been affected by the labour dispute at some designated learning institutions . . . will not face enforcement action for being unable to fulfil that condition, as it is . . . beyond their control.”