The pandemic underscored the crucial role of international students in the service sector, where many worked as essential workers despite the risks of COVID-19 exposure. At the same time, it highlighted the broader challenges they faced in adapting to Canadian academic institutions and the labor market. While their contributions were acknowledged during the crisis, their long-term transition to permanent residency and stable career prospects remains uncertain in the post-pandemic era. This uncertainty is rooted in persistent labor market barriers and further exacerbated by increasingly restrictive policies. Recent measures include reductions in international student and temporary resident admissions, stricter work permit regulations for international college students and their spouses, and a planned 21 percent cut to permanent resident admissions in 2025, with further reductions expected. Many international students and graduates who overcame multiple challenges during the pandemic now face uncertainty in their transition to employment and permanent residence due to constantly shifting policies. Based on 80 interviews conducted across four provinces—Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Newfoundland—between 2023 and 2024 with international students and graduates, my study examines how they navigated challenges related to education, healthcare, family reunification, employment, finances, immigration, and travel during the pandemic. It also explores how they adapted and persevered in the post-pandemic period, amid rising anti-international student narratives and increasing policy restrictions.