Almost one million Indian nationals living in Canada are at risk of losing their legal residency status within the next few months as their work permits approach expiration. According to immigration consultant Kanwar Serah in Mississauga, data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that by the end of 2025, about 1.053 million work permits will have expired, with another 927,000 set to expire in 2026. The Canadian government is also reducing opportunities for new visa applicants and permanent residency, which could intensify the situation.

Serah warned that if migrants fail to apply for new visas or permanent residency, they will lose their legal right to stay in the country. Temporary workers and international students are expected to be the most affected. He noted that Canada has never faced such a large number of immigrants losing legal status before, with around 315,000 expected to become undocumented in early 2026 and over 291,000 by late 2025.

By mid-2026, at least two million people could be living in Canada without legal status, nearly half of them Indian nationals. Serah emphasized that stricter rules will apply to Indian citizens and that the number of undocumented migrants will continue to rise over the next two years.