Canada may face a big problem of illegal immigrants in the coming times. The main reason for this is that a record number of work permits will expire in 2025. A large number of permits are going to expire in 2026 also. About half of these people are estimated to be from India. There could be at least 2 million illegal immigrants in Canada by mid-2026. About half of these will be from India.
This estimate of the number of Indians may actually be higher. According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the validity of about 10 lakh 53 thousand work permits has expired by the end of 2025. Apart from this, about 9 lakh 27 thousand more work permits will expire in 2026.
When a person's work permit expires and he is unable to obtain another visa (a new work permit, study permit or permanent residency) in time, he is out of status. This means that the person Canada Starts living illegally.
In recent years, the Canadian government has increased its strictness on immigration. New rules have been implemented especially to reduce the number of international students and temporary workers. Apart from this, rules related to asylum have also been tightened, due to which the ways to stay there have become more limited.
Canada has never before seen such a large number of people lose legal status at once. Around 3 lakh 15 thousand work permits will expire in the first quarter of 2026 alone, which will put huge pressure on the system. In comparison, in the last quarter of 2025 this number was around 2 lakh 91 thousand. A large number of study permits will also expire and the asylum applications of many people will be rejected.
The impact of this growing problem is beginning to be seen on the ground. Temporary tent colonies are being built in forests and vacant lots in areas like Brampton and Caledon in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Many illegal immigrants are working on cash basis. In some places, there have been reports of fake agencies being opened to get status through sham marriages. Organizations working for workers' rights have also become active regarding this situation. Groups like the Youth Support Network are preparing to protest in January.
