‘Student visa is a temporary document to study,' international students told to leave Canada when visa expires

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith emphasizes that international students must return home once their study visas expire without permanent residency.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has defended a stricter approach to international students, saying those who come to Canada on temporary study visas should return to their home countries when their visas expire if they have not obtained permanent residency.

International students face blunt warning to leave Canada after visa expiry. (Representational image) (Unsplash)

Smith, who is Alberta’s 19th and current premier and leader of the United Conservative Party, outlined her position while discussing concerns over post-secondary institutions and programs that may have overstated pathways to permanent residency.

In a post on X, Smith said a student visa is a temporary document intended for education and argued that Alberta’s universities and colleges were built primarily to serve students from the province.

“Where there is room for international students, the terms are simple,” Smith said, adding that students should earn their education and then return home to build a life with it.

In the remarks, Smith was asked whether she was prepared to begin “certifying diploma mills” in Alberta.

She rejected the characterization of Portage College as a diploma mill but acknowledged that there had been cases involving what she described as unscrupulous operators establishing diploma-granting programs and taking advantage of students.

Smith also suggested that Portage College may have overstated the pathway from international study to permanent residency.

“I think perhaps Portage maybe overstated the pathway to permanent residency,” she said.

The comments highlight a key issue facing international students in Canada: studying in the country does not itself guarantee permanent residency. Students may have access to immigration pathways after graduation, but eligibility depends on the applicable federal and provincial rules.

‘If your visa expires … you need to go home’

Smith was direct about what she believes should happen when an international student’s temporary status ends.

Her position is that students who arrive in Canada on study permits and are unable to obtain permanent residency before their status expires should leave Canada.

“Our view is that if you come here as an international student and your visa expires and you don't have permanent residency, you need to go home,” Smith said.

In her X post, Smith similarly argued that rules are essential to maintaining a fair immigration system and called for Canada to return to an immigration process that respects those rules.

Her comments put the focus on the distinction between temporary study status and permanent immigration, a distinction that has become increasingly important as Canada grapples with the rapid growth of temporary residents.