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PETITION: CLEAR THE CAREGIVER BACKLOG! STATUS FOR ALL WITHOUT EXCLUSIONS!

3/12/2022

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Many care workers are stuck in a backlog, and the childcare permanent residency stream closed in just 17 days. Together, care workers have come up with this letter. Add your name to send it the Ministers.

​Prime Minister Trudeau, Immigration Minister Fraser, and my Member of Parliament,

Care work is the important work done to take care of children, sick and the elderly in the home, often done by migrant workers. This care work is the backbone of Canada’s labour market and social support systems. Without care work, the economy does not work. Canada must create a national care strategy to ensure quality care for children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Decent work and landed status now for the workers providing that care work must be the foundation of Canada’s care economy.
​

Many care workers are paid low wages, work long hours and live in difficult conditions for years to have the chance to apply for permanent residency. We are tied to our employers and face exploitation as a result.  Some employers are using the pandemic to overwork and underpay care workers, trap us inside their homes or force us to work while sick. Many care workers cannot find jobs on employer specific work permits. 
Many care workers applied for permanent residency but we have been waiting for years to get a decision on our applications, or even an acknowledgement that we applied. We are separated from our families and must remain tied to employers. Care workers are unable to get PR because of language tests and educational accreditation requirements that are expensive, time consuming, and unnecessary. Migrant care workers live and work here already, requiring further proof of education or language skills is discriminatory. The existing pathway has an arbitrary cap of 2,750 applications which was reached in just 17 days in 2022. Now childcare workers must wait till 2023 to apply. 
We call on you to act quickly to ensure fairness for all care workers. This means:
  1. Landed status now for all care workers
  2. Clear the backlog: No more waiting for PR processing
  3. No more quotas or caps
  4. No more tied work permits 
  5. No English language requirements
  6. No education accreditation requirement
  7. Reunite families
Granting landed status to care workers should be accompanied by granting full and permanent immigration status to all migrant and undocumented people in Canada now, and permanent resident status on arrival to all migrants in the future. Finally, we call on Canada to sign the ILO Convention C189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. 
​

https://youtu.be/xHVfJeFT2oU
Landed Status Now: Care Workers Organize! Members: Alberta Careworkers Association (Edmonton), Caregivers Action Centre (Toronto), CCESO – Careworker Connections and Educational Support Organization (Toronto), Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights (Vancouver), Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (Ontario), Migrante Alberta, Migrante Canada, Migrante Ottawa, PINAY Quebec (Montreal). Endorsed by: Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers (ADDPD-ARHW). ​
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IRCC News Release

7/15/2021

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​New open work permit available for recent permanent residency applicants

​July 15, 2021—Ottawa--The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced today that, beginning July 26, 2021, individuals who have applied for the recently opened pathway to permanent residence will be eligible for an open work permit while awaiting the results of their application.

The pathway to permanent residence was opened to international students who graduated from a Canadian institution, health care workers and those in other designated essential occupations on May 6, 2021. To qualify for the pathway, individuals must be legally working in Canada at the time of their application and maintain their temporary resident status until a decision is made on their permanent residence application.

Many whose status is set to expire are able to extend their work permit under existing programs, or receive a new permit under one of the temporary measures put in place as a result of the pandemic, such as the public policy for post-graduation work permit holders.

We recognize the potential disruption and uncertainty for applicants who have an expiring work permit, and have been working to ensure that those who don’t qualify for existing measures won’t lose their temporary status and work authorization.
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To qualify for this one-time open work permit, the applicants must show that they
  • have successfully submitted an application under one of the new permanent residence pathway’s streams
  • held a valid work permit, or were authorized to work without a work permit, at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
  • hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within the next 4 months
  • have temporary resident status, maintained status or are eligible to restore their status at the time their open work permit application is submitted
  • are in Canada at the time their open work permit application is submitted
  • were employed in any occupation at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
  • meet the language requirements of the stream under which they applied at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
Quotes
“Our new path to permanent residence for 90,000 essential workers and international graduates is a major step forward—the size, speed and scope of which is unprecedented. This new open work permit ensures that those who have been playing critical roles throughout the pandemic can continue their extraordinary service. Our message to them is simple: your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting—and we want you to stay.”
 – The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship   

Quick facts
  • An applicant’s spouse or common-law partner and dependent children 18 years or older may also be eligible to apply for an open work permit under this policy, if they are also in Canada. 
  • Applications for the new work permit should be submitted online. Further details on how to apply will be added to IRCC’s website on July 26, 2021.
  • Work permits issued under this policy will be valid until December 31, 2022.
  • Those who have applied to extend their work permit before their current one has expired may maintain their status and have authorization to work without a permit under the same conditions as the original while the new permit is being processed. 
Related products
  • News Release – Applications open tomorrow for new pathway to permanent residency for over 90,000 essential temporary workers and international graduates of a Canadian institution
  • News Release – New pathway to permanent residency for over 90,000 essential temporary workers and international graduates
  • News Release – Government of Canada announces further measures to support international students

Contacts for media only
Alex Cohen
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
IRCC.COMMMediaRelations-RelationsmediasCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca
Search for related information by keyword: GV Government and Politics | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada | Canada | Immigration and citizenship | general public | news releases | Hon. Marco E. L. Mendicino

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Date modified:
 2021-07-15

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Canadian Immigration and Citizenship

5/6/2021

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Applications for the new pathway to permanent residence for essential workers and international graduates in Canada opens May 6 at 12:00 pm ET.
We will accept applications until November 5, 2021, or until a stream has reached:
• 20,000 temporary foreign workers in health care
• 30,000 temporary foreign workers in selected essential occupations
• 40,000 international graduates from a Canadian post-secondary institution
Please note: there is no application limit for 3 dedicated streams for French-speaking or bilingual candidates. We will accept these applications until November 5, 2021.
Clients who need accommodation for a disability can request an application in an alternative format. For streams with a limit, requests must be received by May 20 or before the limit has been reached, whichever is later. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3umBHPR
Clients should use the online eligibility tool to confirm they qualify and that their application is complete before submitting. Learn more about the application process, including what documents you need: https://bit.ly/3h3YP1R

​ Guide 5069 – Temporary public policy: Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway (TR to PR Pathway) Table of Contents
  • Before You Apply
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Step 1. Gather Documents
  • Step 2. Complete the Application
  • Step 3. Pay the Fees
  • Step 4. Submit the Application Online
  • What Happens Next
  • Need Help?
  • Appendix A – Photo Specifications
This is not a legal document. The explanations and definitions are not legal definitions. In case of a discrepancy between the language in this document and the relevant legislation or regulations, the legal text in the legislation and regulations prevails.
For legal information, see the:
  • Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
  • Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
This information will help you complete the forms and guide you through the application process.


Please visit :  https://www.canada.ca/.../guide-5069-temporary-resident...



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Guide 5069 – Temporary public policy: Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway (TR to PR Pathway)

5/6/2021

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please visit :  https://www.canada.ca/.../guide-5069-temporary-resident...
  • Before You Apply
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Step 1. Gather Documents
  • Step 2. Complete the Application
  • Step 3. Pay the Fees
  • Step 4. Submit the Application Online
  • What Happens Next
  • Need Help?
  • Appendix A – Photo Specifications
This is not a legal document. The explanations and definitions are not legal definitions. In case of a discrepancy between the language in this document and the relevant legislation or regulations, the legal text in the legislation and regulations prevails.
For legal information, see the:
  • Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
  • Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
This information will help you complete the forms and guide you through the application process.

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Migrant Right Network - Please share & act! New PR program & our push back!

4/27/2021

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Hello everyone! 

A few things: 

(1) Phone Zap before May 6th to expand the program: https://migrantrights.ca/callforstatus/ [PLEASE SHARE]

(2) We will be pushing it out on social media, until May 6th as a campaign as discussed, the first posts are here - [PLEASE SHARE] Twitter: https://twitter.com/MigrantRightsCA/status/1387059238023933954
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MigrantRightsCA/posts/1421853678148492
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/COLIAitotqQ/?igshid=jx8wheheo4cy

(3) May 9th is online now on facebook and our website: www.MigrantRights.ca/May9. [Please share links of your event so we can update]

(4) Our plan is to launch a report next Tuesday with a press conference. We need two things from organizations:
(a) Please share this link with migrants so we can get more data we can report on: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NewPRApr2021 
(b) Please connect us to migrant spokespeople in your organization available to be on Zoom on Tuesday morning that can speak about how they have been excluded. We need these connections ASAP so we can profile them for our social media campaign too. 

Please visit :  
https://migrantrights.ca/​
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Unite All Families! Status for All!

4/27/2021

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​COVID-19 doesn’t pick or choose, but laws and policies do. As a result, it’s Indigenous, Black and Brown communities, poor people, women, the elderly, and migrants that are worse impacted. 
Everyone deserves rights, dignity and protection. But the federal government has announced a new permanent residency program for essential workers that excludes most migrants. Families will remain separated, and the threat of deportations and being ripped out of communities we have built here remains hanging on all of us without permanent resident status. 
This program was created because migrants organized, and allies joined us. We must push harder.
On May 9th, Mother’s Day, join an action near you or organize your own, or take action on social media.
WHEREVER YOU ARE, YOUR ACTIONS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
RIGHT NOW!
  • Make a call to PM Trudeau: Tell him to ensure full and permanent immigration status for all without exception: www.MigrantRights.ca/CallforStatus 
ONLINE ON MAY 9
  • Before or on Mother’s Day 2021, May 9th, take a photo with your family and post a message to Justin Trudeau: Unite All Families! Status for All!
  • Tag and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
IN YOUR CITY
  • Actions will be announced shortly in Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver, and details will be updated here. Check back here often. 
  • Organize a COVID-19 safe rally, picket, march, postering or banner drop in your community. Check out what other cities did for previous days of action, and then get in touch with us at info@migrantrights.ca for more resources.
IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
  • PUT UP POSTERS: Download these beautiful posters and put them up in your window!
  • DISTRIBUTE FLYERS: Give them to your neighbours!
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Federal Budget Fails to Deliver Immigration Rights, Continues Focus on Failed Temporary Programs

4/20/2021

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Full and Permanent Immigration Status for All Residents Is Essential to Building an Equal Society Post COVID19 
Canada, April 20, 2021 

The 2021 federal budget continues Canada’s trajectory of temporary migration, where the majority of new arrivals each year are on temporary study, work or refugee permits without equal rights or services. $168.3 million dollars has been allocated to paying for the management and the fallout of temporary immigration streams, and almost a billion dollars for border enforcement rather than ensuring full and permanent immigration status for all. The federal budget’s announcement of a childcare program does not ensure permanent resident status on arrival for the tens of thousands of low-waged, racialized migrant women who take care of children. There is no recovery without full equality and that requires full and permanent immigration status for all.  

The Trudeau government’s budget  announced the following on Immigration: 
  • Budget 2021 acknowledges that migrants were responsible for 75% of Canada’s net GDP growth in 2019, but does not ensure equal rights for migrants. 
  • The Budget re-commits the federal government to recently announced time-limited and exclusionary pathways to permanent residence. 
    • This program excludes undocumented migrants, refugees, students in programs less than 2 years long, those that are currently unemployed, those without valid work authorization, those that cannot pass language exams, and those in many essential industries. There are only 90,000 spots for hundreds of thousands of potential applicants who are scrambling  to get their applications in order, and pass language tests during the third wave.  
  • Budget 2021 announces that the Government of Canada intends to propose amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to provide the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with even more authority to determine who becomes a permanent resident. 
    • Over the last decade, incredible power has been centralized in the Minister’s hands resulting in the proliferation of so-called Pilot Programs, creating more and more temporary immigration streams and “pathways” to permanent residency that few people can access. It is time to overhaul the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to ensure permanent resident status for all migrants, including on arrival. 
  • Budget 2021 proposes to provide $656.1 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $123.8 million ongoing, to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to modernize the borders.
    • These funds will likely result in increased immigration enforcement, more integration with US Border control but will not ensure oversight of CBSA. Border enforcement will not fight COVID nor heal any wounds of the pandemic – border enforcement only deepens them.
  • Budget 2021 proposes to provide $57.6 million in 2021-22 to extend the Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program to help employers offset costs associated with temporary foreign workers fulfilling isolation requirements upon entering Canada.
    • Since the beginning of the pandemic increased subsidies for employers have failed to improve quarantine conditions for migrant workers. Migrant farmworkers report lack of sufficient or appropriate food, illegal deductions from pay, and restrictions on mobility far greater than public health requirements. Migrants need permanent resident status to access and enforce rights. 
  • $54.9 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to increase inspections
    • ESDC’s inspection program does not give migrant workers the ability to assert their rights. By law, ESDC cannot even share the fact or results of an inspection with the workers whose complaints triggered those inspections in the first place, much less ensure that they are compensated in instances of abuse. Only six employers have been found ineligible through these inspections since the start of COVID-19, despite the wave of massive COVID outbreaks, migrant worker deaths, and worker complaints that occured in the first and second waves of the pandemic.
  • $6.3 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to support faster processing and improved service delivery of open work permits for vulnerable workers
    • Most migrants cannot apply for these permits because of onerous application procedures which require access to legal advice  and documentation. Open work permits for vulnerable workers are one-time non-renewable permits – they are a band-aid solution that allows some to exit one bad job but then forces workers right back into the system that produced those bad jobs. Tied work permits and temporary immigration status are the problem, not processing.
  • Budget 2021 proposes to invest $428.9 million over five years, with $398.5 million in remaining amortization, starting in 2021-22, to develop and deliver a new digital platform for immigration process.
    • The problems with the immigration system are not just about technology. Processing backlogs and long wait times are the result of the many unjust and impossible requirements migrants must meet in order to access permanent residency.
  • $49.5 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Employment and Social Development Canada, to support community-based organizations in the provision of migrant worker-centric programs and services, such as on-arrival orientation services and assistance in emergency and at-risk situations, through the new Migrant Worker Support Program.
    • This funding aims to provide rights information to migrants without permanent resident status that migrant groups have called a “waste of resources”. But the problem is not that migrants don’t have information about their rights, it’s that they are either excluded from rights or cannot assert those they do have without risking termination and deportation, because of their temporary immigration status. 


Please visit :  https://migrantrights.ca/budget2021/
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Here’s everything Migrant Care Workers need to know about the NEW immigration announcements!

4/19/2021

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​Published on April 18, 2021
​
Migrant care workers, we won many of our demands, but too many of us are excluded! Last week, the federal government announced a new PR program, and updates about the backlog and the pilot program. These changes happened because migrant care workers got noisy! We signed petitions, spoke in the media and on social media. But we know that if the government did this, they can do more. No more partial solutions! Keep organizing and calling for full and permanent immigration status for all now! We can get the government to make even better rules. 
Right now, the government wants to cool us down, but the truth is that we can’t. We need to keep getting louder for status for all! 
Two years ago, the government announced that they will fix problems for us care workers when they created the Interim Pathway Program. But nothing was fixed – all it did was create a backlog. Now again they have made new announcements, but we still don’t have PR and continue to be separated from our families. We cannot stop being noisy until we ALL have PR for us and our families. 
With the announcement of the new PR program, many of us are panicking. We are searching for English exams, trying to get documents from back home, and it’s creating a lot of stress. So here’s a quick summary of what you need to know and do: 
  • If you already applied for PR under the Interim Pathway Program (and completed 12 months of work) or under the other two caregiver pilot programs (and have completed 24 months of work), do not reapply under the new PR program announced on April 14th. 
>> The government has announced that they will clear the backlog and the new PR program won’t get you PR faster. But the government has only promised to process 6000 applications by the end of the year, even though there are over 12,000 applications already in the backlog! So even with this promise, we have to wait. Many of us still don’t have open work permits. We must continue to call for PR for all of us. 
  • If you are a Home Support Worker who hasn’t applied for PR and you have CLB Level 5 and the educational accreditation, you should apply under the current Home Support Worker Pilot Program.  
>> This is because the new PR program announced on April 14th is small and spots will fill up quickly. This program is not just for migrant care workers, but also for other essential workers. It is many people’s only chance at getting PR and being reunited with their families, so if you don’t need to apply, then don’t. For the Home Support Worker Pilot Program, the government announced that 516 out of 2750 applications have been made so far in 2021, so you are safer applying under the Home Support Worker Pilot Program. But we know getting PR is difficult, and we are still being mistreated at work, so we must keep fighting for status for all!
  • If you don’t have the educational accreditation OR you are unable to get past CLB Level 4 OR you are a Home Childcare Worker and have 12 months of work experience, you should try to apply through the new PR program announced on April 14th. Click here to see if you are eligible for the new PR program and learn how to apply.
>> But you should know that there are only 50,000 spots in the new PR program and hundreds of thousands of people will be trying to apply. Many of us are having issues booking our English test because the IELTS and CELPIP websites have crashed or spots are filling up. Some of us don’t have valid work permits or implied status, have lost our immigration status or are having problems finding a job – which means we may not qualify for this program. Even if you are eligible, keep raising your voice for landed status for ALL. 
>> The new PR program will open on May 6th and will be open until the spots are full or until the cap is met. 
>> The government also announced that as of April 8th, 2367 out of 2750 applications have been made for the Home Childcare Provider Pilot Program. Because of this, you may be safer applying under the new PR program announced on April 14th if you are eligible. 
As you can see, too many of us are excluded. We continue to be tied to our employers and be mistreated. We continue to be separated from our families. All of us want status, so why can some apply and not others? The government promised us PR, so why are we still waiting? Our message is clear: We are done waiting. We will not accept anything less than Status for All NOW! 
​
These changes are good, but not good enough, we will keep organizing! Sign our petition: www.LandedStatusNow.ca/

Please visit :  https://www.caregiversactioncentre.org/newprchanges2021

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Permanent Residency Updates

4/15/2021

 

Temporary public policy to facilitate the granting of permanent residence for foreign nationals in Canada, outside of Quebec, with recent Canadian work experience in essential occupations.


Public Policy ConsiderationsThe pandemic has highlighted the contribution of foreign nationals in Canada, across all sectors and skill levels. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased need to ensure that Canada has the necessary workforce to support the physical health and wellbeing of individuals, as well as the economic recovery. The public policy targets foreign nationals with at least one year of work experience in Canada in an essential occupation, in recognition of their economic contribution and in acknowledgement of the ongoing need that Canada has for these professionals. In addition, the public policy helps retain French and French immersion teachers to address the shortage of French-language teachers in Canada outside of Quebec and by doing so, supports the Government of Canada’s objectives on official languages.

While applications for permanent residence have been accepted and processed throughout the pandemic, the global travel restrictions and capacity constraints have led to a shortfall in admissions in 2020. The 401,000 new admissions announced for 2021 in the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan are key to ensuring Canada has the workers it needs to fill key essential positions and remain competitive in attracting global talent.
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As such, I hereby establish that, pursuant to my authority under section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Act), there are sufficient public policy considerations that justify the granting of permanent resident status or an exemption from certain requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Regulations), to foreign nationals who meet the conditions (eligibility requirements) listed below.
Click here to view the ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Migrants win path to Permanent Residence! We want Status for All!

4/14/2021

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10 months ago today we began our campaign for full and permanent immigration status for all. Today, migrants won a major victory. At least 90,000 more people and their families will get permanent resident status! 
Keep reading to see if you qualify!
Migrants bravely spoke up about injustice and forced the federal government to acknowledge that permanent resident status is necessary to be able to access or assert basic rights. Today’s announcement proves that the federal government can change immigration rules. Full and permanent immigration status for all in the country and permanent resident status on arrival for all in the future is possible and we will not stop until we win it. Nothing less is acceptable. Your support has been crucial in this victory and we ask you to recommit to this fight. 
Today’s announcement creates a partial and short-term opening to PR for some but does not change the fundamentally temporary nature of the immigration system. Each year hundreds of thousands of people come with temporary permits. The new program only includes migrants with select work experience and denies status to anyone who is unemployed, even in an economic downturn.
All undocumented migrants – over 500,000 people – are excluded from this new program, despite the essential work many are doing in our communities. It is the temporary immigration system that has pushed our communities out of status, and it is the same immigration system that continues to keep us out. 
The new program includes English language requirements which will exclude many groups of workers and entire communities. Many migrants who otherwise could meet the language requirements will be scrambling to get testing and accreditation done during this short window because of COVID-19 related shutdowns. 
It is crucial that in this moment we assert that all of us are essential. All migrants, no matter what kind of work we do, waged or unwaged, must be included. Permanent resident status is not a gift or a prize to be earned – it is the only way to ensure equality of rights and access to basic services. Anything less permits and produces inequality. 
If you are a migrant who fulfills the criteria below you may be able to apply for permanent resident status. But remember, we won this because of collective action, and we cannot stop until we win STATUS FOR ALL. 

Here’s what migrants are saying“For us undocumented migrant workers, we know that our work is truly essential. So it is disappointing to see that in this announcement we are excluded. When the government does not address the temporary migrant workers program’s fundamental issue, these changes, although welcomed, indeed fall short of the aspirations of ALL migrants and advocates. It simply reinforces the existing neoliberal agenda within the Canadian immigration system.” 
– Marisol B. Migrante Canada
“Undocumented people like me work on the frontlines in long-term care homes, caring for the sick and the elderly, and in many other essential jobs. Why are we being excluded? Without permanent resident status, we are shut out of healthcare, even the COVID19 vaccine, we can’t defend ourselves against bad bosses, and we live in constant fear of detention and deportation”. 
– Lily, Caregivers Action Centre
“For the first time, some seasonal agricultural workers may have a path to permanent resident status, but the requirement for passing a high level English test excludes the majority of us. This is discrimination. They call us essential, but they continue to exclude us. We demand status for all.”
– Gabriel Flores, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change 
“As essential workers we do permanent work and therefore we should be granted FULL and PERMANENT IMMIGRATION STATUS so we can bring our family the soonest in Canada and be reunited, especially with our children who needed our guidance as their parents. We give so much of our life to improve Canada’s economy by serving our Canadian employers with the best of our service even though we missed our family back home. We shouldn’t wait any longer – full and permanent immigration status for all migrants now!” 
– Judy, Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights
“The immigration program announcement excludes migrant student workers like me who do not meet these narrow and arbitrary requirements. We have seen over and over that the government can make changes but is choosing not to make the necessary changes that we all deserve. All migrant and undocumented people deserve full and permanent immigration status! “
– Sashanna, Migrant Students United

Details of the program announced today
  1. You must hold a valid work permit right now or be eligible to restore your work permit. You must be currently employed, though you do not necessarily need to be employed in the sector through which you qualify for the program. 
  2. You must have 12 months of accumulated work experience in the previous 3 years in the streams below. 
  3. You must prove CLB Level 4 language competency unless you are in the educational stream, in which case you must prove CLB Level 5.  
  4. You must not be inadmissible under IRPA (Medical or Criminal inadmissibility). 
  5. The streams are:
    1. 20,000 applications for temporary workers in 40 occupations in health care.
    2. 30,000 applications for temporary workers in 95 selected essential occupations including caregiving and food production and distribution. Click here for more info.
    3. 40,000 applications for international students who graduated with a minimum 8 month degree from a university, or a 16 month certificate or diploma from a Canadian college in the last 4 years, but no earlier than January 2017. You must have been continuously enrolled, with no gaps in your studies. Self-employed work in qualifying sectors does not count. Click here for more. 
    4. There are also additional streams for French-speaking or bilingual candidates outside of Quebec. See more here and here. 
  6. Applications will open on May 6 and will remain open for six months or when the caps are reached. Other final details will only be available when the program opens on May 6th. 
Please visit : 
​      https://migrantrights.ca/migrantswinprpath/
      https://youtu.be/fwi3KSYaKQY
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MIGRANT CARE WORKERS ARE ORGANIZING! ADD YOUR VOICE TO OURS!

4/2/2021

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Sign this petition insisting that migrant care workers deserve fairness and immigration rights.

Prime Minister Trudeau, Immigration Minister Mendicino, and my Member of Parliament,
​
Care work is the important work done to take care of children, sick and elderly in the home, often done by migrant workers. This care work is the backbone of Canada’s labour market and social support systems. Without care work, the economy doesn’t work. Canada must create a national care strategy to ensure quality care for children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Decent work and landed status now for the workers providing that care labour must be the foundation of Canada’s care economy.
Many care workers are paid low wages, work long hours and live in difficult conditions for years to have the chance to apply for permanent residency. They are tied to their employers and face exploitation as a result. Others face immense difficulty getting other jobs, particularly during COVID19. Many are unable to get PR because of language tests and educational accreditation requirements that are expensive, time consuming, and unnecessary. Migrant care workers live and work here already, requiring further proof of education or language skills is discriminatory. Care workers that have applied for permanent residency have been waiting for years to hear a decision on their application. 
We call on you to act quickly to ensure fairness. This means:
  1. Landed status now for all care workers in the country 
  2. No more waiting for PR processing
  3. No English language requirements
  4. No education accreditation requirement
  5. No more tied work permits 
  6. Reunite families
Granting landed status to care workers should be accompanied by granting full and permanent immigration status to all migrant and undocumented people in Canada now, and permanent resident status on arrival to all migrants in the future. Finally, we call on Canada to sign the ILO Convention C189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. 

Landed Status Now: Care Workers Organize! Members: Alberta Careworkers Association (Edmonton), Caregivers Action Centre (Toronto), CCESO – Careworker Connections and Educational Support Organization (Toronto), Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights (Vancouver), Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (Ontario), Migrante Alberta, Migrante Canada, Migrante Ottawa, PINAY Quebec (Montreal).

Please visit : https://migrantrights.ca/take-action/landed-status-now/
​
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Migrant Rights Network

3/31/2021

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​55 years. Enough is enough.

Posted on March 31, 2021

Today, March 31st, is the 55th anniversary of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). Today marks over half a century of injustice, indignities and exploitation of Black and Latinx people by Canada’s agri-food industry.
This brutality has always been met with organized opposition. The first recorded wildcat strike organized by migrant farm workers was in 1967, less than a year after the program was created. 
Today hundreds of farmworker members of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change are holding simultaneous meetings at 80+ farms to light candles of resistance and make plans to fight for Full and Permanent Immigration Status for All. 
You can support this massive show of worker power by sharing a photo of your own flame of resistance posting online and tagging us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with #StatusforAll. Speak out today and pledge to support our upcoming four days of action in 2021. 
SAWP followed the creation of the Caribbean Domestic Workers scheme in 1955. These two programs laid the foundation for temporariness in the immigration system. Subsequent governments have only grown these programs.
Now, over 850,000 temporary study and work permits are issued in Canada each year. Most people on these programs are low-waged and racialized. We live and work here but are excluded from labour rights, healthcare, access to education and other social supports. We are separated from our families. Most of us can never get permanent residency and are forced to stay in Canada without any immigration status, and even fewer rights. 
Enough is enough. Today on the 55th anniversary of the SAWP program, we demand an end to temporariness. We demand an equal society and that means permanent immigration status for everyone.
In 2021, we are taking actions for Status for All and we need you. Join us: 
  • May 9th (Mothers’ Day)
  • June 20th (Fathers Day)
  • July 18-25 (Non-Status March from Montreal to Ottawa) 
  • September 18th (Parliament returns)
As Hady Anne for Solidarity Across Borders in Montreal said this weekend announcing the March to Ottawa: “We are not here to talk about what is possible… We are here to talk about what human dignity and justice require, what we must do to stop the destruction of the world. From 18 July to 25 July, we will take the road to Ottawa to demand Status for All. Mr. Trudeau, we are tired of waiting. We’re coming.” 
Are you with us? Go to your social media today and light your flame of resistance. 
PS: Following the murders in Atlanta of 8 people including Asian women sex workers, our member Butterfly: Asian Migrant Sex Worker project has launched #8CallsforJustice. Please sign on as an organization or individual: https://www.butterflysw.org/8callsforjustice 

Please visit :  
https://www.migrantrights.ca

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Migrant Rights Network Sign Petition

3/29/2021

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​Open Letter: Full Immigration Status for All
​

We, the undersigned, join the Migrant Rights Network in calling for full and permanent immigration status for all, without exclusions.
COVID-19 has exposed deep inequalities in our society. The fault lines are gendered and racialized: the worst impacts are being felt by women and in Indigenous, Black and Brown communities. Those most impacted have received the least support. Meanwhile, large corporations that have already accumulated immense profits receive massive bailouts.
Migrants, refugees and undocumented people have lost work and wages during the crisis but many have been shut out of emergency income supports. Those already without wages have been abandoned. They cannot pay rent, have faced starvation, lost life savings and are sacrificing essential health care.


Others have been forced to keep working in dangerous conditions. Migrant workers on farms, in greenhouses and meat and food processing plants have been hit with massive COVID-19 outbreaks. Three migrant farm workers have already died: Juan López Chaparro, Bonifacio Eugenio Romero and Rogelio Muñoz Santos. Migrant domestic workers remain trapped in the homes of their employers, facing greater surveillance, abuse and violence. Migrant students, working in low-wage jobs in warehouses and as delivery drivers, have had their tuition fees hiked to subsidize Canadian universities and colleges.
Now, as businesses reopen, those without work have little choice but to accept unsafe jobs. But conditions are the same as before — low wages and minimal labour protections. Hard-fought gains in access to healthcare remain precarious and limited. Rent hasn’t been paid and evictions are on the horizon. With mounting debt, many are facing greater exploitation but have no way to defend themselves.
An unjust immigration system is responsible. At least one in twenty-three people (over 1.6 million people) are without permanent resident status. Migrants are punished for for leaving bad employers, doing sex work, or getting sick. Access to services varies by immigration permit and is virtually non-existent for those who have been forced out of status. Lack of permanent resident status makes it difficult, and often impossible, for migrants to speak up for their rights or access services, including those they may be eligible for, because of a well-founded fear of reprisals, termination, eviction and deportation. Migrants, refugees, and undocumented people want to take care of their families and be active members of their communities. But federal immigration rules tip the scales against them.
We call for a single-tier immigration system, where everyone in the country has the same rights. All migrants, refugees and undocumented people in the country must be regularized and given full immigration status now without exception. All migrants arriving in the future must do so with full and permanent immigration status.
Full immigration status for all is necessary for global justice. COVID-19 has ravaged communities around the world, deepening economic and political crises that are being exploited by governments. Yet, Canada has closed its borders to refugees and families remain separated. Canada must support migrants and refugees here, reunite families, and ensure that no one is forced to leave their homes.
There is a global anti-racist resurgence that is sweeping the country. Violence against, and exclusion of Black communities in particular is being challenged head on. Temporary and precarious migration is racism – it excludes racialized communities from equal rights and protections. Full immigration status for all is necessary for racial justice.
Many migrants are engaged in essential work, ensuring that families and communities are cared for. Yet the majority of this work is low-waged, and the majority of those who do it are racialized and women migrants. This work is necessary not just during a public health crisis, but to transition our economies away from the impending climate catastrophe. Bad employers use immigration status as a tool to divide and pit workers against each other – citizens against non-citizens – to keep wages low and profits high. Full immigration status for all is an essential step towards eliminating inequalities in the workplace and necessary for a transition to a just and sustainable economy of care.
We are all essential. We all deserve full immigration status.
Recovery from COVID-19 calls for a rethinking of the ways in which our communities and our economy is organized. Prime Minister Trudeau: Full Immigration Status for All is just, fair, necessary and urgent. The time is now.

​visit :  https://migrantrights.ca/status-for-all/



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Migrant Rights Network Campaign

3/25/2021

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​
On March 16, 2020, as the COVID crisis was first hitting, we at the Migrant Rights Network called for healthcare, worker rights, income support, access to social services, and immigration status for migrant and undocumented people. 


12 months later, we look back and we look ahead. With you, we vow to keep organizing and fighting for full and permanent immigration status for all.


(1) HEALTHCARE FOR ALL: As COVID-19 raged through 2020, migrants won policies in many provinces to ensure access to healthcare and COVID testing. But in many places these policies are not being implemented and migrants continue to be turned away or charged high fees for life-saving care. Today, we are calling on all provinces and the federal government to put in place concrete measures to ensure safe and dignified access without fear to COVID19 vaccinations.



(2) WORKER PROTECTIONS & INCOME SUPPORTS: As a result of our work, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was extended to migrants, a valid Social Insurance Number was made mandatory part way through 2020 to qualify for the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB). Now with tax season approaching, many migrants are scared of a clawback they cannot afford. We demand a CERB/CRB amnesty.


Without income support, migrant people either faced starvation and eviction, or were forced to work in dangerous and sometimes deadly conditions. Farmworkers, care workers, delivery workers, cleaners and other low-wage workers are called ‘essential’ even as we are excluded from essential rights and protections. But we take care of us: Migrants fundraised, set up mutual aid networks and stepped in when governments failed us. Migrants stood up against bad bosses, organized strikes and raised our voices. We will continue to organize for justice and equality.

(3) STATUS FOR ALL: Fundamentally, a fair society with equal rights for all requires that everyone have the same immigration status. This is why migrants organized over 30 rallies, protests and marches calling for Full & Permanent Immigration Status for All.


In early 2020, the federal government announced a moratorium on deportations because of the pandemic. But the callous practice of deportation continues: by the end of 2020, Canada had deported more people in 2020 than in the previous 5 years. Just this week, a man who contracted COVID while in immigrartion detention was deported despite showing symptoms. Throughout, migrants organized in detention centers, and in Quebec, many secured their own release. Migrant student workers denounced government policies that punished them for the pandemic by letting their permits run out. They won new work permits, a one-time stopgap to the deportation of 52,000 people. But immigration rules continue to exclude low-waged working class people, particularly undocumented workers and those on employer controlled indentureship permits.

(4) SOCIAL SUPPORTS: While some federal, provincial and municipal supports went towards emergency food boxes, it was primarily donations from people like you that allowed migrant groups to feed communities without work. Poor and working class migrants were only able to ward off evictions, get healthcare, childcare or social supports when we united with our neighbours and co-workers to offer real solidarity in the face of deadly policies.

A year into this pandemic, let us re-commit to building a different future together. Talk to your neighbours, friends and co-workers. Raise your voice. Echo and amplify the demands of migrant and undocumented people. Let us build a just world for all of us.
 
Migrant Rights Network


Migrant Rights Network is Canada’s only cross-country coalition of migrant led organizations and allies with migrant and undocumented membership from coast to coast.


PS: Read and share this post from our website with links: https://migrantrights.ca/march182020/

 Follow us on facebook, twitter & instagram and ask your friends to sign on at www.MigrantRights.ca

 
Migrant Rights Network does not take funding from political parties or corporations - chip in to support our work!
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Public policy extended for temporary residents applying to restore status

3/25/2021

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Ottawa, December 31, 2020--Effective January 1, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is renewing a temporary public policy that provides more time for temporary residents to apply to restore their legal status in Canada.
This public policy, which has been in place since July 2020 but was set to expire, recognizes that many temporary residents in Canada have been affected by worldwide health- and travel-related restrictions, and may need to remain in Canada for longer than they anticipated.
Under the public policy, visitors, students and workers whose valid temporary status expired, or expires, between January 30, 2020, and May 31, 2021, will have until August 31, 2021, to restore their status. In addition, the public policy will continue to allow former work permit holders applying for an employer-specific work permit to work while a decision on their restoration application is pending..

​For more info please visit : https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/public-policy-extended-restore-status.html?fbclid=IwAR 

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Employment Insurance and the Canada Recovery Benefit

1/4/2021

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New recovery benefits
The new recovery benefits are available between September 27, 2020, and September 25, 2021.


To give Canadians seeking employment the support they need to get back on their feet, the government has made changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program.
EI is now available to more Canadians, including those who would not have qualified for EI in the past, extending coverage to more than 400,000 people. Anyone receiving EI is eligible for a taxable benefit rate of at least $400 per week, or $240 per week for extended parental benefits, and regular benefits are accessible for a minimum duration of 26 weeks.
Additionally, to ensure that Canadians receive the support they need during these challenging times, 3 new benefits have been implemented:
  • The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) will provide $400 per week, for up to 26 weeks, to workers who are self-employed or are not eligible for EI and who still require income support and are available and looking for work. This benefit will support anyone residing and present in Canada whose income has dropped or not resumed due to COVID-19.
  • The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) will provide $500 per week, for up to 2 weeks, for workers who are sick or must self-isolate for reasons related to COVID-19.
  • The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) will provide $500 per week for up to 26 weeks per household for eligible Canadians unable to work because they must care for
    • a child under age 12, due to school or daycare closures because of COVID-19
    • a family member with a disability, or a dependant, because their day program or care facility is closed due to COVID-19, or
    • a child, a family member with a disability, or a dependant who is not attending school, daycare or any other care facility upon the advice of a medical professional due to being at high risk if they contract COVID-19
Transition from Canada Emergency Response Benefit to Employment Insurance The Government of Canada has announced changes to EI, and new recovery benefits that will better support Canadians.
If you need financial assistance after your CERB ends As of September 27, 2020, there are some temporary changes to the EI program to help you access EI benefits. These changes will be in effect for 1 year.
Find out if you qualify
If you received the CERB through Service Canada After you receive your last CERB payment, continue completing reports. In most cases, you do not need to apply for EI benefits. We'll automatically review your file and your Record of Employment, then start a claim for EI regular benefits if you qualify. If you do not qualify, you will be notified by mail.
You will need to apply for EI after your CERB ends if
  • you have a social insurance number that starts with a 9
  • you are self-employed, or
  • you declared that you returned to work full-time on your CERB report
If you need sickness benefits instead of regular benefits You can declare on your reports that you are unable to work for medical reasons, and you could receive up to 15 weeks of sickness benefits.
If you received the CERB through the Canada Revenue Agency You need to receive all your CERB payments before applying for EI benefits. You can apply after the end of your last CERB eligibility period. Visit EI benefits and leave to determine which benefit is right for your situation and to apply online.
Apply for Employment Insurance
Canada Recovery Benefit The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The CRB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency.
If you are eligible for the CRB, you can receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) for a 2-week period.
If your situation continues past 2 weeks, you need to apply again. You may apply for up to a total of 13 eligibility periods (26 weeks) between September 27, 2020, and September 25, 2021.
For more information, go to Canada Recovery Benefit.

Canada Recovery Benefit:
Frequently asked questions
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Who is eligible for the Canada Recovery Benefit? 
The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) is available to anyone who is residing and present in Canada for the 2 weeks for which they are applying for the CRB, and
  • was at least 15 years of age on the first day of the period
  • has a valid social insurance number
  • had a total income of at least $5,000 for 2019, 2020 or in the 12-month period preceding the day on which they make their first application for the CRB, from one or more of the following sources:
    • employment income
    • self-employment income, or
    • Employment Insurance (EI) maternity or parental benefits or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits
  • meets one of the following conditions for the period for which they are applying:
    • stopped work for reasons related to COVID-19, or
    • had a reduction of at least 50% in their employment income or self-employment income for reasons related to COVID-19,
  • was seeking work during the period for which they are applying
  • did not place undue restrictions on their availability for work on or after September 27, 2020, unless reasonable to do so
  • did not quit their employment or voluntarily ceased to work on or after September 27, 2020
  • did not
    • fail to return to their employment when it was reasonable to do so, if their employer so requested
    • fail to resume self-employment when it was reasonable to do so, or
    • decline a reasonable offer to work that would have started during the 2-week period
  • was ineligible for EI benefits
  • was not in receipt of the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, short-term disability benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, any EI benefits, or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits.
Individuals must apply after every 2-week period for which they are seeking income support, and must attest that they continue to meet the requirements.
To encourage people to work, beneficiaries may earn income from employment and/or self-employment while receiving the CRB, as long as they continue to meet the other requirements.
However, to ensure that the CRB helps those who need it most, beneficiaries will need to repay through their income tax return $0.50 of the benefit they receive, for every dollar of net income earned above an annual net income of $38,000 (excluding the amount received for the CRB), up to the total of the CRB they received in a calendar year. Amounts repaid will not be included in taxable income.
Can I receive the Canada Recovery Benefit if I’m not a citizen or a permanent resident? 
Yes, as long as you are residing and present in Canada during the period for which you are claiming the benefits and meet the other eligibility criteria.
When can I access the Canada Recovery Benefit? 
Unlike the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) payment is retroactive. This means you
  • you can only apply for the CRB after the period for which you’re applying has ended, and
  • you must apply within 60 days after the period for which you’re applying has ended
How do I apply for the Canada Recovery Benefit?
The best way to apply for any of the recovery benefits is online, via My Account. However, anyone who does not have access to the Internet can apply using the CRA’s automated toll-free phone lines: 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041.
To obtain further information on how to apply for the Canada Recovery Benefit visit the transitioning to new benefits Web page.
Can I receive more than one of the recovery benefits between September 27, 2020, and September 25, 2021? 
Yes, as long as you meet the applicable eligibility criteria. 
However, you cannot claim more than one of the recovery benefits for a given period. 
Also, you may not receive any of the recovery benefits if you are receiving Employment Insurance benefits, provincial maternity or parental benefits, or any other paid leave for the same period.
Can I access any Employment Insurance benefits while receiving the Canada Recovery Benefits? 
No.  You may not receive any of the recovery benefits at the same time you are receiving any Employment Insurance Benefits, provincial maternity or parental benefits, or any other paid leave.
Once I receive my first payment, can I assume that I will continue to receive my next payments without doing anything?
 No, the payments will not continue automatically.
A new application must be submitted for each eligibility period because you must attest that you were unable to work.
How will you decide my tax rate? The Canada Revenue Agency will apply a flat 10% deduction at source for all of the recovery benefits.
How do I know whether to apply for Employment Insurance benefits or the Canada Recovery Benefit? 
If you’ve paid Employment Insurance (EI) premiums as an employee, and have at least 120 hours of insurable employment, you are likely eligible for EI benefits and should apply.
If you don’t have the minimum number of hours needed for an EI claim, you may be eligible to receive the Canada Recovery Benefit if you meet the eligibility criteria.
For how many weeks can I receive the Canada Recovery Benefit? 
You can receive the Canada Recovery Benefit for up to 26 weeks between September 27, 2020, and September 25, 2021.
I was receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit until the end of June and then found employment but, although still employed, I am being asked by my employer to work reduced hours. 
Am I eligible for the Canada Recovery Benefit? 
You may be eligible for the Canada Recovery Benefit if you have suffered a reduction in income of 50% or more due to COVID-19 and you meet all of the other eligibility criteria.
What constitutes a reduction in income when compared to pre-COVID times? Does a $1 reduction count? 
​To be eligible for the Canada Recovery Benefit while still working, you must have suffered a reduction in average weekly income of at least 50% relative to pre-pandemic levels.
A reduction in income is defined as a reduction in total average employment and self-employment income for the 2-week benefit period compared to your average employment income for a 2-week period the previous year.
To calculate your reduction in average income
  • use your annual net income for 2019 or 2020, or the 12-month period prior to your application, and
  • divide it by 26 to determine your average earnings for a 2-week period
For example, Deborah had net income of $39,000 in 2019. To determine her average earnings for a 2-week period prior to the pandemic, Deborah divides this amount by 26, producing $1,500. Because Deborah is currently earning only $700 every 2 weeks, she has suffered an income reduction of more than 50%, and is eligible to claim the Canada Recovery Benefit.
I’m a seasonal worker. I wasn’t able to work my usual number of hours because of the pandemic, so I do not qualify for Employment Insurance. Am I eligible for the Canada Recovery Benefit? If you are not eligible for Employment Insurance, but are unable to work or are working reduced hours due to COVID-19, you could be eligible to receive the Canada Recovery Benefit, as long as you meet all of the other eligibility criteria.
This includes having earned at least $5,000 from employment or self-employment in the previous calendar year, or the 12 months prior to your first application for the Canada Recovery Benefit. You must also be unable to work, or have suffered an income reduction of 50% or more due to COVID-19.
I entered the labour force late in 2019 so was not able to earn $5,000, but I would have been able to earn that much in 2020 if I hadn’t lost my job due to COVID. Do I qualify for the Canada Recovery Benefit? No.
To be eligible to receive the Canada Recovery Benefit, you must have had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in 2020, or in the 12-month period prior to your first application for the CRB.
If I’m paid income after applying for the Canada Recovery Benefit for work done before I applied, does it impact my ability to get the benefit?  You may earn income from employment and/or self-employment while receiving the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) as long as you continue to meet the other requirements. This includes earning 50% or less of your previous income for a 2-week period due to COVID-19.
However, you will be required to repay $0.50 of the CRB for every dollar in net income you earn above $38,000 for the year (excluding the CRB amount received). This would include amounts you earned in the year prior to applying for the CRB.
What constitutes the $38,000 in net income I am allowed to earn before I become subject to the repayment requirement?You are allowed to earn up to $38,000 in net income (excluding the Canada Recovery Benefit amount received) before becoming subject to the repayment provision. 
What happens if I have net income over $38,000 in the tax year? How will the Canada Recovery Benefits be returned? If you receive the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), you’ll need to repay some or all of the benefit CRB through your income tax return if your annual net income, excluding the CRB payment, is more than $38,000.
In other words, you’d need to repay $0.50 of the CRB for each dollar of your annual net income above $38,000 in the calendar year, to a maximum of the amount of benefit you received.
This will be reconciled when you file your taxes for that calendar year.
Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit Read this section in another language Make your selection...لْعَرَبِيَّةُ (PDF, 111KB)فارسی (PDF, 104KB) Italiano (PDF, 42KB)한국어 (PDF, 184KB)Português (PDF, 44KB)ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (PDF, 242KB)简化字 (PDF, 104KB)Español (PDF, 42KB)正體字 (PDF, 190KB)Tiếng Việt (PDF, 152KB)The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19. The CRSB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency.
If you are eligible for the CRSB, you can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for a 1-week period.
If your situation continues past 1 week, you will need to apply again. You may apply for up to a total of 2 weeks between September 27, 2020, and September 25, 2021.
For more information, go to Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.
Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit Read this section in another language Make your selection...لْعَرَبِيَّةُ (PDF, 107KB)فارسی (PDF, 106KB) Italiano (PDF, 42KB)한국어 (PDF, 186KB) Português (PDF, 43KB)ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (PDF, 247KB)简化字 (PDF, 86KB)Español (PDF, 43KB)正體字 (PDF, 179KB)Tiếng Việt (PDF, 116KB)The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they must care for their child under age 12, or a family member who needs supervised care.
This applies if their school, regular program or facility is closed or unavailable to them due to COVID-19, or because they are sick, self-isolating, or at risk of serious health complications due to COVID-19. The CRCB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency.
If you are eligible for the CRCB, your household can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for each 1-week period.
If your situation continues past 1 week, you will need to apply again. You may apply for up to a total of 26 weeks between September 27, 2020, and September 25, 2021.
For more information, go to Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit.
How financial benefits affect family sponsorship If you collect the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), you are still eligible to sponsor your spouse, parent, grandparent, child or other relative as long as you meet all of the requirements to be a sponsor.
The CERB is not considered social assistance. Collecting the CERB will not make you ineligible to sponsor.
Employment Insurance and the CERB will not cause you to default If the person you sponsored collects Employment Insurance or the CERB during the undertaking period, it will not cause you to default.
However, if the person you sponsored collects social assistance during the undertaking period, you have to repay the amount. If you do not, you will be in default of your undertaking.

Please visit :
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/financial-assistance.html 
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Permanent residence for Caregivers (Updates on Applications)

11/15/2020

 

Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

Government of Canada:
​"We’ve received at least 2,750 applications under the Home Child Care Provider pilot. Because of this
  • the pilot is closed to new applications for 2020
  • we’ll return any other applications we received and refund the fees
The pilot will reopen on January 1, 2021.
​
We’re not close to reaching the cap for the Home Support Worker Pilot. You can still apply under this pilot. We’ll update this page if and when we close that pilot to new applications for 2020.
For now, you don’t need to contact us about an application you submitted in 2020 under either pilot. We’re still in the process of opening applications now that our offices are open again.

If we accept your application into processing for 2020, we’ll send you a notification letter. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may take longer than usual for you to get the letter."

Behind Closed Doors

11/2/2020

 

EXPOSING MIGRANT CARE WORKER EXPLOITATION DURING COVID- 19

​As many regions continue into the second wave of the pandemic, the conditions outlined in this report are reoccurring or worsening right now. The cumulative and cascading crises of COVID-19 demand an immediate response through policy changes that will ensure rights and protections for migrant care workers. The most crucial of these changes is full and permanent immigration status for all migrant care workers in Canada now, and full and permanent immigration status for all migrant care workers that arrive in the future. This will give migrants the ability to protect themselves against labour exploitation, ensure access to emergency income supports and universal healthcare, and reunite families. A fair society is only possible with equal rights for all, and equal rights for all are only possible if everyone in the country has the same immigration status. Further recommendations are outlined at the end of this report.

Table of Contents:

Who we are
Acknowledgements
Contact
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
Stolen Hope: COVID-19 and the Cascade of Crises Experienced by Migrant Care Workers
Summary of Findings
SECTION 2: CANADIAN LAWS THAT CREATE MIGRANT CARE WORKER EXPLOITATION
Care Worker Immigration Programs in Summary
SECTION 3: EXPOSING THE EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANT CARE WORKERS DURING COVID-19
CHAPTER 1: STOLEN LABOUR: WORK AND INCOME DURING COVID-19
  • Labour intensification
  • Unpaid wages
  • Difficulty enforcing rights
  • Lost work and limited access to income supports
  • Difficulty finding work during COVID-19
CHAPTER 2: STOLEN HOPE: DELAYS IN PERMANENT RESIDENCY AND APPLICATION PROCESSING
  • Fear of not finishing 24 month work requirement
  • Difficulty meeting language and educational requirements
  • Difficulties and delays in permit processing
CHAPTER 3: FREEDOM DENIED
  • Control over housing and movement
  • Barred from public transportation
CHAPTER 4: UNSTABLE HOUSING IN A PANDEMIC
CHAPTER 5: STOLEN TIME: FAMILY SEPARATION AND IMPACT ON CHILDREN
CHAPTER 6: STOLEN HEALTH: HEALTH IMPACTS AND ACCESS TO SERVICES
  • Lack of sick leave
  • Difficulty accessing medical care
SECTION 4: RECOMMENDATIONS
The Change Migrant Care Workers Need Right Now!
  • Full and Permanent Immigration Status for All & Landed Status Now
  • Interim Measures to Ensure Rights for Migrant Care Workers
  • Real access to PR: Reinstate the Interim Pathway with modifications
  • Open Work Permits for Migrant Care Workers
  • Labour Rights and Income Support
  • Healthcare for All
  • Ensure Family Unity
  • Housing
  • Federal Workers Program (FWP) – Care Worker Stream
Click here to read the Survey Report: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Care workers calling on the Federal government for FULL and PERMANENT immigration #StatusForAll!

10/31/2020

 

Behind Closed Doors: Exposing Migrant Care Worker Exploitation During COVID-19

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Migrant care workers across Canada released a report and this video on Oct 28 to share stories of abuse and their call for change.
These are Care Workers like you speaking out about their experiences! As Care Worker Leader Mariyah says,
"Let’s come out with care workers so we can have a strong voice to push the government for our rights to getting our immigration status and bringing our families! "
Watch, read and take action when we launch: www.MigrantRights.ca/BehindClosedDoors.

JOIN US FOR A DAY OF ACTION FOR STATUS FOR ALL ON NOVEMBER 1st:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1025481547913684

ADD YOUR VOICE: www.StatusforAll.ca

--
Authored by Caregivers Action Centre (CAC), Vancouver Committee for Domestic Worker and Caregiver Rights (VCDWCR), Caregiver Connection Education and Support Organization (CCESO), and Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC), the report is endorsed by Alberta Careworkers Association, PINAY Quebec, Migrante Canada, Migrante Alberta, and Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers (ADDPD/ARHW). A joint project of the Landed Status Now Working Group of Migrant Rights Network.
Watch Video Here

UPDATES on CERB

10/23/2020

 

​ Answers to your questions on paying back the Canada Emergency Response Benefit

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB, was the financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians who were directly affected by COVID-19. The CRA has set the CERB benefit period between March 15 and September 26. Your benefit ends when you have received 28 weeks of benefits or on October 3, 2020, whichever comes first. For those who applied through the Canada Revenue Agency, the last four-week period for the CERB was August 30, 2020 through September 26, 2020. 

If you are one of the recipients of this benefit, and you are not sure if you need to return or repay the CERB you received, here's what to do next.
Click Here: Return or Repay a Payment
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FREE Online Workshop for Migrant Workers

10/16/2020

 

Know Your Rights at Work!

CCESO held a FREE online workshop last October 11, 2020. Some of the questions asked by our fellow Care workers are listed below, and were answered by our hosts.
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Workshop Questions
 
EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS
  1. I am still working for my employer, but because of the crisis, I am now working long hours and I am not being paid overtime or for all of the hours I’m working. I am very lucky to still have my job, but I’m scared if I tell my employer about my rights, I will be laid off. What can I do? 
  2. My employer is threatening me that if I leave the house to buy groceries or go for a walk, I will be fired. I have been locked up in their house for months. What are my rights in this situation? Why can my employer leave the house, but I can’t? 
  3. I want to leave my employer because I am working long hours with only 1 day off. My employer is very demanding and sometimes even the children are verbally abusive. I have been in this job since Sept 2019 and my work permit will expire on Aug 2021. My health is deteriorating but I'm afraid to resign. What should I do?
  4. If my employer is mistreating me, what should I do? (i.e. document everything!)
    1. Explain the different areas of abuse (i.e. financial, 
  5. Do I have access to sick days or emergency leave? 
  6. My employer fired me during COVID-19, what are my rights?
  7. Is it legal for the employer to pay our overtime hours with rest days/hours instead of money? What should we do if they are demanding this?
  8. I work for a close relative  and she said that our contract is only on paper so she does not pay me regularly. Is this legal? I want to leave because they treat me like a maid
  1.  My employer was away for two weeks and I was left alone in the house. They say that was already considered my vacation because I was not doing child care for the children. Am I still entitled for a vacation pay if I want to go away?
INCOME SUPPORTS 
  1. Can I get income support if I am laid off due to COVID-19? (i.e. new Canada Response Benefit). What income support can I access now that CERB is over? 
  2. My employer reduced my salary, but not my hours of work. They forced me to collect CERB even though I am still working full-time hours for them. Is this right?
MINIMUM WAGE
  1. If I am receiving minimum wage, should my wages go up after October 1st?

What is the Anti-Terror Bill?

6/24/2020

 
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What is the Anti-Terror Bill?

Caregiver Connections Education & Support Organization (CCESO) invites you to a free webinar on Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 8:00 PM EST (5:00 PM PST).

The title of the "Anti-Terror Bill" alone does not tell us what it really means. This is why we made an effort to invite the prominent Filipino Human Rights lawyer, educator, and advocate, Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Icasiano Diokno, J.D. to discuss it with us.

He serves as chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and the founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law. He also served as special counsel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

We are hoping that you would join us in our attempt to understand thoroughly the underlying effects and consequences of this fundamental issue in the lives of our friends and family back home.

To RSVP: please contact Marlyn or Juli

Care Work Stories

6/3/2020

 
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CARE WORK STORIES: DIGITAL EDITION
SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2020
2:00 PM - 3:15 PM EST


A discussion with Filipino Care Workers and allies to explore their long history fighting for (and winning) human rights in Canada. Register online at https://rb.gy/nsujtc

Migrant Care Workers are more than the "care" they provide to children, the elderly and our most vulnerable family members. Their stories are complex and as varied as the people who live them - past and present.

Kwentong Bayan Collective hosts a discussion with Filipino Care Workers and allies to explore their long history fighting for (and winning) human rights in Canada. We will learn about the recent movement that boldly calls for "Full Immigration Status for All".

We will meet artists who support migrant communities to tell their stories. And listen to the personal stories of Migrant Care Workers whose labour is currently keeping communities safe during COVID-19.


Read More

Migrant Rights Network - June 14, 2020

5/31/2020

 
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On June 14th join the Migrant Rights Network as they launch a campaign by over 40 migrant-led and allied organizations for full immigration status for all: www.MigrantRights.ca/June2020

Join a massive digital and social media gathering of migrants, poor and working class people, and allies. The global COVID-19 pandemic has proven that migrants are essential to our communities, but are exploited and excluded. Together, migrants from across Canada will raise our voice for healthcare, decent work, family unity and equal rights for all.

Actions will take place all day on social media and in the streets, learn more and get involved: https://migrantrights.ca/june2020

Digital Literacy for Migrant Workers

2/26/2020

 
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  • IntersectTO - a BIPOC tech community is partnering with Caregiver Connections, Education and Support Organization (CCESO) and Parkdale Project Read to offer a free Digital Literacy Drop-in session for Migrant Care Workers / Caregivers.

  • DATE: Sunday March 15, 2020
  • Registration: 12:00-12:30 PM
  • Drop-in Sessions: 12:30 - 4:00 PM

  • LOCATION: Parkdale Project Read, 1209 King St. West (Southeast corner of Dufferin & King) in between the Subway restaurant and Eye Care centre.

  • ABOUT THE EVENT:
  • Volunteers from IntersectTO will provide free tech support and answer questions. Please bring your devices!


Migrant Care Workers/Caregivers have expressed interest in learning about:

* Smartphones - apps, changing settings, security issues and other troubleshooting issues

* How to write resume on Word or alternative free doc programs

* Staying safe online and on social media

* Setting up basic websites and designing flyers

* Using collaborative applications

* Connecting Bluetooth devices

* Uploading media to the cloud like photos or contact information

* How to locate your phone if it gets lost

* Laptop support - updating your OS, accessing VPN, anti-virus support
We’ll cover these topics and more!

This free event is designed for the Migrant Care Workers / Caregiver community. Registration is required. For more information, contact CCESO.

ACCESS INFO: Parkdale Project Read is accessible to people using wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility devices. Front door equipped with access ramp and power-assist button. No stairs. Gender-inclusive and accessible bathroom is equipped with assist bar. Please come scent/fragrance free.

Light Refreshments provided. On-site child minding support available.

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