PR Quota Doubled For Out Of Status Construction Workers In GTA
The pilot program for out of status in Canada construction workers in GTA extends to assist Canadian employers in addressing crucial labour shortages. The pilot program will now grant 1,000 out-of-status construction workers in the GTA the opportunity to apply for Canada permanent residency (Canada PR Visa), the IRCC announced on Friday, January 20, 2023.
Overview of the pilot program for Out of Status Construction Workers
An applicant may be eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada under the pilot program if they have significant work experience in the GTA’s construction industry, have family members who are already residents of the country, have a letter of recommendation from the CLC, and no other grounds for exclusion from entry aside from visa overstaying and working without authorization.
The Canadian government continues implementing innovative immigration procedures, such as establishing channels for out-of-status workers. The government is expanding a scheme that enables construction workers who have overstayed their work permits or visas to become permanent residents as the labour shortages increase.
In conjunction with the Canadian Labor Congress (CLC), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) established a permanent residency pilot programme for 500 out-of-status workers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) construction industry in 2019. Only out of status in Canada construction workers who reside in the regions of Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel, and York are eligible for the construction worker pilot programme.
452 people have been granted permanent residency since the out-of-status construction workers in the GTA pilot program began in July 2019. (190 principal applicants and 262 dependants).
What is the objective of the out-of-status construction workers pilot immigration program?
Filling labour shortages and protecting workers is the main objective of this pilot program. According to the Canadian Construction Association, there are roughly 93,000 open positions in the country’s 1.3 million-person construction industry. According to BuildForce’s 2020-2029 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward report, 257,100 construction workers are expected to retire by 2029.
IRCC issued over 645,000 work permits between January and October 2022. –nearly four times more than the 163,000 issued over the same period in 2021.
This program recognizes the significant contribution that construction workers make to the development and growth of our communities and provides them with a pathway to permanent residency so they can remain for an extended period. This program is just one of several fresh initiatives to deal with the labour shortages in Canada by ensuring that Canada attracts and keeps the workers and needs to expand the economy and strengthen Canadian communities.
The initiative encourages more stability in the construction sector and ensures that trained workers still meet Canada’s key housing development demands. In addition, this program will assist in removing more workers from the shadow economy, which will boost Canada’s well-known programs and services (like the Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security and Employment Insurance).
Eligible out of status in Canada people can include their spouses, partners, and dependant children in their application for permanent residency, which must be submitted by January 2, 2024. The CLC will continue to accept the names of prospective candidates and evaluate them for eligibility before recommending them to IRCC.
How many illegal immigrants are in Canada?
Undocumented migrants are considered a hidden population, given that they are a hard-to-reach, hard-to-sample population. Academic sources estimate between 20,000 and 500,000 out-of-status persons—many work in dangerous and frequently exploitative industries like agriculture, construction, cleaning, and caregiving.
How many undocumented immigrants are in Toronto?
According to recent data, 200,000 and 500,000 undocumented workers reside in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Where do illegal immigrants in Canada come from?
According to campaigners, most out-of-status immigrants entered Canada legally through authorized legal channels, including refugee claimants, sponsored immigrants, or individuals with valid student, work, or visitor before losing their status because of problems with their TRV status. These problems are a result of an immigration system that is more and more transitory, where many citizens struggle to renew their temporary visas and get permanent residence.
Who are eligible for the out-of-status construction workers pilot immigration program?
Out of status in Canada applicants with significant work experience in construction occupations in the GTA, family members in Canada, and a referral letter from the CLC. Furthermore, they have no reason for being inadmissible other than overstaying their visa and working without authorization. You can apply for permanent residency under this governmental policy if you:
- Have entered Canada legally initially as a temporary resident but currently have no status.
- Live in Canada and have been here for at least five years.
- Have worked a minimum of 4,680 hours in these five years (1 full-time job OR 1 or more part-time jobs OR a combination of full-time and part-time work)
- The job categories include trades and skilled transport and equipment operators; maintenance and equipment operation trades; residential and commercial installers and servicers; heavy equipment operators (except cranes); and construction trades helpers and labourers.
- Have family in member Canada who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Family members include the extended family in Canada, spouse, common-law partner, or children.
- Proof of paying Canadian income tax.
- Be referred by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).
- Be otherwise admissible to Canada.
- No previous offences would make them inadmissible to Canada besides a breach of the immigration law for overstaying in the country.
What are the required documents for the out-of-status construction workers pilot immigration program?
These are the documents that are required before you apply for your permanent residency in Canada under this public policy:
- Police Certificates,
- Proof of living in Canada last five years,
- Proof of work experience,
- Evidence that your family is living in Canada,
- Form IMM0123 Documents checklist for this pilot program,
- Form IMM 0008 Generic application form,
- Form IMM 5669 Schedule A – Background/ Declaration form,
- Additional Family information IMM 5406,
- Form IMM 5708 Application to Remain in Canada as a Temporary Resident,
- Form IMM 5710 Application to Remain in Canada as a Worker
What are the processing Fees under the Temporary Public Policy?
According to this pilot program, each applicant must pay a processing fee of $1,085 for permanent residency. If you apply with your child, there are $155 additional fees.
What is the Out-of-Status term in Canada?
Out of status in Canada term applies to foreign nationals who have entered Canada as temporary residents (TRs) status (Visitors, students, or workers) and who stayed beyond the validity of their temporary resident visas (some without even realizing it) and are technically considered out of status. (Fail to maintain their TRs status) According to Canadian immigration law, staying over the date when your status expires is illegal. If a person is out of status in Canada, they are expected to leave the country. They may no longer be eligible for many immigration streams or re-entry to Canada.
They will become foreign nationals without status in Canada if they have not applied to extend their stay before the expiration date of their immigration documents or if their extension applications have been denied.
Out of status in Canada, what can I do?
Once you have fallen out of status in Canada, your authorization to stay in Canada on a temporary status has expired, so you are expected to depart Canada immediately. You are not eligible for work and study permits or other immigration streams.
What are out-of-status available options in Canada?
While Canadian Immigration law states they should leave Canada immediately, Immigration and public policy have built some flexibility into the system. Some out-of-status people can use four alternatives to extend their stay or continue to live in Canada permanently or temporarily. These alternatives open to people depending on their circumstances, such as how long they have resided in Canada, what caused them to lose their status, and their family situation. Possible choice details are included in this article.
How We Can Help you?
Although the aforementioned choices could give applicants out of status in Canada a special opportunity, they also impose some restrictions that must be carefully considered. These include giving up the ability to appeal if the application is refused, waiting longer for a response than with an overseas application, and having to stay in Canada while the application is being processed. For these reasons, it’s crucial to carefully consider which course of action is the appropriate legal course action by consulting with an RCIC.
Arnika Visa Solutions Inc. is one of the most reliable Canadian Immigration Consulting companies in Canada. You can benefit from the expertise and experience of Arnika Visa’s RCICs in Canadian immigration. Arnika specialists can improve the quality of your immigration application to increase your chances of approval. Arnick’s expert team, under the management of Mr. Reza Eslami, an active member of The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), RCIC, R710241, will handle all the stages of your immigration application in detail, including choosing the best immigration pathway, preparing additional supporting documents and filling out the immigration forms, obtaining Canada PR, Canadian passport, etc.
Hi, I applied to renew my open work visa, but it got refused, and it’s past the 90 days. Now, I am out of status. I applied for PR but didn’t know how long it would take. What can I do to stay in Canada and restore my status as a worker? Thanks
Given the complexity of your legal immigration questions, we recommend scheduling an appointment with our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) for accurate and personalized advice. His expertise will provide you with the necessary guidance for your specific situation. You can choose your preferred time for the appointment on the link below:
https://arnikavisa.com/book-a-consult/