OTTAWA— The clock ran out on April 1 for thousands of temporary foreign workers in Canada as work permits expired for those who have been in the country for more than four years.
In 2011, the Conservative government set April 1, 2015, as the deadline for temporary foreign workers in low-skilled jobs to either become permanent residents or return home.
In Alberta alone, 10,000 temporary foreign workers have applied to stay in Canada.
Immigration Canada hasn’t divulged the total number of workers who must leave April 1, but immigration and labour market experts have estimated tens of thousands are affected.
Richard Kurland, a Vancouver immigration lawyer, says temporary workers with legal representation have found ways to stay past the deadline with so-called bridging options that could lead to permanent residence.
But many workers can’t use that approach, he says.
“The sad thing is that the victims are people unable to access bridging provisions that would have given them more time in Canada ... because a large number can’t access immigration lawyers; they can’t afford it,” he said.
Thousands of Temporary Foreign Workers in Low-Skilled Jobs Required to Leave Canada
Work permits expired April 1 for TFWs in the country for over four years
Thousands of temporary foreign workers are required to leave Canada as of April 1, as work permits expire for those who have been in the country for more than four years.
Employment Minister Pierre Poilievre answers a question in the House of Commons on March 23, 2015. In 2011, the Conservative government set April 1, 2015, as the deadline for temporary foreign workers in low-skilled jobs to either become permanent residents or return home. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
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The four-year limit deliberately and unfairly targets the lowest-paid and lowest-skilled temporary workers.
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