On January 11, 2024, the Government of Canada extended the temporary policy for out-of-status migrants to help employers and address critical labour shortages in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
This extension runs for six months until July 2, 2024. Back in 2019, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) started a pilot program with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) that provided permanent residency status to 500 out-of-status construction workers.
This initiative was expanded last year, doubling the number of applicants to 1,000 individuals.
#IRCC, #GTA, #CLC, #construction_workers, #out_of_status_workers
January 17, 2024
Their contracts are tied to a single employer, limiting their flexibility. A proposed $500-million class action lawsuit is being prepared to challenge these rules.
The case represents workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Temporary Foreign Workers Program-Agricultural Stream over the past 15 years.
The allegations are yet to be proven in court. A 2022 report states that Canada's reliance on these workers has grown, with their numbers increasing by 600% since 2000.
Advocates for migrant workers believe the lawsuit is crucial for securing more rights for them.
#Foreign_workers, #TFWP, #agricultural_workers, #seasonal_workers, #farm_workers
January 17, 2024
On January 9, 2024, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, opened the new temporary resident pathway for extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents residing in Gaza.
This measure aims to provide a safe haven for Palestinians living in Gaza with supporting family members in Canada.
Eligible family members include spouses, children, siblings, parents or grandparents of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and their immediate dependents.
Once in Canada, they can apply for a fee-exempt study or work permit.
They will also receive three months of health coverage and access to settlement services like language training and job support.
Despite the challenging exit conditions in Gaza, Canada is working with partners to facilitate the exit of eligible individuals.
#Gaza, #Palestine, #Israel, #temporary_measures_for_Palestinian_nationals
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/temporary-resident-pathway-opens-palestinian-185000454.html
January 10, 2024
According to a Statistics Canada study, African and Asian immigrants had higher employment rates than other regions.
For immigrants over 15 years old in 2023, employment rates were: Africa: 67.7%, Asia: 66.3%, Latin America: 66%, North America: 56.6%, and Europe: 56.6% (national average: 62.7%).
However, when looking at core-aged immigrants (25-54 years), the results inverted: Europe: 88.3%, Latin America: 82.8%, North America: 82.7%, Asia: 81.7%, Africa: 79.8% (national average: 82.6%).
This suggests African and Asian immigrants are more likely to work outside the core age group, possibly due to cultural differences in schooling years.
However, the study doesn't include temporary workers and international students who comprise a significant part of Canada's labour force, with 797,225 valid work permit holders in December 2022 and close to a million international students in 2023.
#Statistics_Canada, newcomers, #Asian_immigrants, #African_immigrants, #statistics
January 9, 2024
