Saskatchewan·NewImmigration restrictions and reductions mean Ravinder Kaur could lose the two skilled chefs at her restaurant in Lloydminster, Sask., which she says could force her to close her business.Owner of Indian Kitchen in Lloydminster fears loss of skilled chefs Aishwarya Dudha · CBC News · Posted: Dec 02, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Ravinder Kaur is struggling to find trained chefs who can make authentic Indian cuisine. Her two chefs are nearing the end of their work permits and if she can’t find a way for them to stay, she says she will have to close the restaurant. (Aishwarya Dudha)The kitchen in a small restaurant in Lloydminster, Sask., is filled with the smells and sounds of authentic Indian cuisine. Metal ladles strike the sides of simmering pots and lunch orders come in fast as the smell of spices rises in the air like perfume. The cardamom, cloves and saffron make regulars swear they can’t eat anywhere else. But behind the warmth of this kitchen and its crowded lunch rush, there’s fear that it could all disappear, says Indian Kitchen owner Ravinder Kaur. “I might have to shut down this restaurant. We are already opening late and closing early because I don’t want to overwork my two chefs,” Kaur said in an interview. “I think I have to give up on my dream.” Immigration restrictions and reductions mean she could lose the two skilled chefs who make these dishes possible, forcing her to close within weeks. Ravinder Kaur is the owner of Indian Kitchen in Lloydminster, Sask. (Aishwarya Dudha/CBC)“We are getting good business but we’re struggling to find good cooks and without cooks you cannot run a restaurant. It’s an authentic Indian restaurant we are running. It’s not something that anybody can walk in [and do] with no experience,” Kaur said. Kaur came to Canada as an international student in 2010. She worked her way up from gas station shifts to managing restaurants and eventually opening her own. During the last decade, she has helped launch 11 locations across Alberta and Saskatchewan, although seven of them have had to close due to staffing shortages.“I wanted to become someone one day and that was by having my own restaurants,” she said. Skilled chefs losing work permitsBoth of her chefs — Arvind Kaintura and Bhupendra Rawat — have spent more than seven years working in Canada, paying taxes and contributing to the economy. Kaintura’s work permit expired in October. Rawat’s will expire in January.“This job means my career, my life, my family. Everything depends on this job,” Kaintura said.Chef Arvind Kaintura and his family have been in Canada for seven years. (Aishwarya Dudha/CBC)He said he has been waiting more than a year for progress on his extension and provincial nomination application. Without approval, he said he may be forced to return to India next month.“Sometimes I go into depression … not sleeping well,” he said. “If my permit is not approved, I will go back to India — maybe [in] January.”Rawat has lived in Canada since 2018. He was recently diagnosed with cancer and said losing his work permit would mean losing more than just work. “I’m thinking about their future — my children’s future and sometimes about me, like my medical [situation],” he said. “The school is sending messages that if your work permit expires, [the kids] can’t study either.” Bhupendra Rawat, right, and his family have lived in Canada for more than five years. (Aishwarya Dudha/CBC)Rawat’s three children — Ridhima, 12, Tanvi, 7, and Ava, a toddler — have been living in Canada for most of their lives. “I like the school and my friends here. I wanted to study and become a lawyer here in Canada,” said Ridhima, 12. “I’d feel really bad if we have to go back. I don’t know how to read or write in Hindi or how schools and universities there work.” Kaur said she has posted job listings and received more than 100 applications, but none were from people with the training needed to prepare authentic Indian cuisine.She said she has already reduced hours and is worried she won’t be able to cover lease and supplier costs if the chefs must leave.“If I have this restaurant today, it’s not because of me — it’s because of them,” she said. “I cannot give up on them. They are my family.”Broader labour impactsThe Canadian Federation of Independent Business said similar situations are playing out across the country. Christina Santini, CFIB’s director of national affairs, said immigration policy shifts and tighter limits on the temporary foreign worker program mean many businesses that rely on those workers might have to close their doors. “One in five businesses may very well close because they’ll be losing key workers who help them employ other Canadians,” Santini said.She said losing skilled workers can force businesses to reduce hours or shut down entirely — which can mean fewer jobs for Canadians, less consumer choice and longer wait times for services.“We often think that one foreign worker is one Canadian worker. No, it’s not a one for one. Sometimes they actually complement each other and there’s a symbiotic relationship,” she said. “Losing one foreign worker could actually mean losing multiple Canadian jobs.” Kaur said she hopes government officials will consider families who have already built lives in Canada — and the communities who rely on them.“We all belong here,” she said. “These workers are contributing to the economy. They are an essential part of the community.”ABOUT THE AUTHORAishwarya Dudha is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon. She specializes in immigration, justice and cultural issues and elevating voices of vulnerable people. She has previously worked for CBC News Network and Global News. You can email her at aishwarya.dudha@cbc.ca
‘I might have to shut down’: Immigration cuts push Sask. restaurant to the brink
