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EDMONTON - Many Filipino Temporary Workers (TFWs) were desperate to stay longer in Canada, after the country implemented the 4-year rule in April 2015, banning TFWs from staying for over 4 years in the country.

A number of Filipino TFWs shifted status to international students and paid thousands of dollars in tuition fees from $16,000 to $21,000, plus additional fees to third-party immigration representatives.

They were hoping to be eligible for the post-graduate work permit which allows student graduates from participating Canadian colleges to gain Canadian work experience they can use to apply for permanent residency.

Jonah Falgui was one of them.

“So I spent $16,000 dollars for my two years studies only to find out that we will not be getting anything. We have to find other ways for us to stay here,” Falgui said.

But many of the private schools in Edmonton where Pinoy international students completed their programs were not eligible for the post-graduate work permit.

Some of the graduates have applied for the post-grad work permit already, and they were all denied by immigration Canada.

The students are blaming schools for not being upfront with them, as well as their third party representatives for feeding them misleading information.

“Appeal namin sa government para mabigyan po ng consideration yung aming situation dahil lahat po kami dito nakapag-stay na sa Canada ng more than six or four years,” said Victoria Maravillas.

Migrante Alberta added there is even one school in Edmonton where approximately 90 students, most of them Filipinos, are affected.

Hundreds of students in Calgary are in similar situations.

“Talaga namang marami malaking krisis ang nagyayari dito sa Edmonton in particular, wala silang uuwian sa Pilipinas. Most likely, they will be here to stay either undocumented or not,” said Marco Luciano, from Migrante Alberta.

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