 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his 38 Cabinet Ministers will finally be discussing regularization this May. They can either make a decision immediately, or continue to delay. They can create a small and exclusionary program for just a few or ensure permanent resident status for all undocumented people. Together, let’s make sure they do the right thing and ensure status for all. Here’s how: (1) Visit Cabinet Minister offices, talk to the constituency staff and drop off letters (2) Call the Cabinet Ministers everyday (3) Send emails, write letters and deliver petitions to Cabinet Ministers. Over the next few weeks, we must push as hard as we can, get as loud as we can to make sure that Cabinet Ministers create a program to ensure permanent resident status for all undocumented people. But if they choose to delay, we won’t stop, let’s keep up the pressure over the summer and beyond to win. (1) Visit Cabinet Minister offices, talk to the constituency staff and drop off lettersStep 1: Find the closest constituency office near you. Step 2: Check online using Google to see when they are open. Constituency offices are usually open to the public between 10am to 4pm, Monday – Thursday, but make sure to confirm. Pick a time that you can go and invite friends to come with you if you can. Let us know when you are going so we can encourage those nearby to join you, email us at info@migrantrights.ca. Step 3: Print out these three documents:
Step 5: A few days later, call the office to ask if they passed on your message to the Minister. Step 6: Email us and let us know what happened – info@migrantrights.ca (2) Call the Cabinet Ministers everydayCall as many of the Cabinet Ministers as you can, starting with Prime Minister Trudeau, and then Ministers in the province you are in. Two ways to call: Call Directly From Your Phone: Click here for their phone numbers and a script. Call Using Our Automated Caller: Enter your information below and click Make the Call. Our system will dial a Cabinet Minister. You can leave message for one Minister or stay on the line, and the system will move to the next Minister when you’re done. A phone script will appear on the next page. (3) Send emails, write letters, and deliver petitions to Cabinet Ministers. Every time you or a friend adds their name here: www.StatusForAll.ca; an email is automatically sent to all Cabinet Ministers. The more emails they receive, the more they know this is an issue they need to act on. You can also gather paper petition signatures. Download them from here, print, and take them to your community events, when you go for religious service, or a picnic, or outside a local transit hub. You can do it on your own or with friends, simply take a clipboard and pen.
0 Comments
 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his 38 Cabinet Ministers will finally be discussing regularization this May. They can either make a decision immediately, or continue to delay. They can create a small and exclusionary program for just a few or ensure permanent resident status for all undocumented people. Together, let’s make sure they do the right thing and ensure status for all. Here’s how:
(1) Visit Cabinet Minister offices, talk to the constituency staff and drop off letters (2) Call the Cabinet Ministers everyday (3) Send emails, write letters and deliver petitions to Cabinet Ministers. Over the next few weeks, we must push as hard as we can, get as loud as we can to make sure that Cabinet Ministers create a program to ensure permanent resident status for all undocumented people. But if they choose to delay, we won’t stop, let’s keep up the pressure over the summer and beyond to win. (1) Visit Cabinet Minister offices, talk to the constituency staff and drop off lettersStep 1: Find the closest constituency office near you. Step 2: Check online using Google to see when they are open. Constituency offices are usually open to the public between 10am to 4pm, Monday – Thursday, but make sure to confirm. Pick a time that you can go and invite friends to come with you if you can. Let us know when you are going so we can encourage those nearby to join you, email us at info@migrantrights.ca. Step 3: Print out these three documents:
Step 5: A few days later, call the office to ask if they passed on your message to the Minister. Step 6: Email us and let us know what happened – info@migrantrights.ca (2) Call the Cabinet Ministers everydayCall as many of the Cabinet Ministers as you can, starting with Prime Minister Trudeau, and then Ministers in the province you are in. Two ways to call: Call Directly From Your Phone: Click here for their phone numbers and a script. Call Using Our Automated Caller: Enter your information below and click Make the Call. Our system will dial a Cabinet Minister. You can leave message for one Minister or stay on the line, and the system will move to the next Minister when you’re done. A phone script will appear on the next page. (3) Send emails, write letters, and deliver petitions to Cabinet Ministers. Every time you or a friend adds their name here: www.StatusForAll.ca; an email is automatically sent to all Cabinet Ministers. The more emails they receive, the more they know this is an issue they need to act on. You can also gather paper petition signatures. Download them from here, print, and take them to your community events, when you go for religious service, or a picnic, or outside a local transit hub. You can do it on your own or with friends, simply take a clipboard and pen.
Day Of Action : #UniteAgainstRacism#RefugeesWelcome#StatusForAll March18-19, 2023 Across Canada3/1/2023 On March 19, mark the International Day for Elimination of Racism and the return of spring to take to the streets with thousands of migrants and supporters to demand equal rights and permanent resident status for all undocumented people, migrant workers, students, families and refugees. A regularization program was promised in December 2021 but Prime Minister Trudeau is stalling, and migrant families are being deported and exploited every day. Anti-immigrant forces are trying to shut down immigration justice. They are blaming immigrants for low-wages; and creating hysteria about refugee claimants escaping the United States via Roxham Road to distract from corporate greed and profiteering. We must show the federal government that there are more of us, and we all want Status For All. We must mobilize in the thousands with hope, we must #UniteAgainstRacism, insist #RefugeesWelcome and demand #StatusForAll. We have won many victories, from access to vaccines, to stopping deportations, to winning improvements to laws. We must make sure there are no delays. Find an action near you below, or read how to organize your own. Edmonton – Sunday, March 19, 2023 1pm, Alberta Legislature Grounds. RSVP Now! Montreal – March 18 to 19, 2023 Starting 7:30pm on March 18, ending 9am March 19, Guy-Favreau Complex, RSVP Now! Niagara – Sunday, March 19, 2023 2pm, Niagara Falls City Hall. RSVP Now! Sudbury – Saturday, March 18, 2023 2:30pm, Main Public Library, 74 MacKenzie Street. RSVP Now! Toronto – Sunday, March 19, 2023 2pm, Christie Pits Park. RSVP NOW! Vancouver – Sunday, March 19, 2023 12pm, CBC Plaza. RSVP NOW! Victoria – Sunday, March 19, 2023 1pm, 50 Burnside Rd. RSVP NOW! Don’t see your city? You can still take action:
 Key Messages
For more information, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/transparency/committees/cimm-nov-29-2022/caregivers.html 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:
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).  New open work permit available for recent permanent residency applicantsJuly 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. To qualify for this one-time open work permit, the applicants must show that they
“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
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 Report a problem or mistake on this page Share this page Date modified: 2021-07-15 About government
About this site  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
For legal information, see the: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... please visit : https://www.canada.ca/.../guide-5069-temporary-resident...
For legal information, see the: This information will help you complete the forms and guide you through the application process. 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/  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!
Federal Budget Fails to Deliver Immigration Rights, Continues Focus on Failed Temporary Programs4/20/2021  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:
Please visit : https://migrantrights.ca/budget2021/ Here’s everything Migrant Care Workers need to know about the NEW immigration announcements!4/19/2021  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:
>> 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 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. 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.  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
https://migrantrights.ca/migrantswinprpath/ https://youtu.be/fwi3KSYaKQY  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:
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/
 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/
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! 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 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:
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
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 Read this section in another language Make your selection...لْعَرَبِيَّةُ (PDF, 218KB)فارسی (PDF, 186KB)Italiano (PDF, 78KB)한국어 (PDF, 244KB)Português (PDF, 80KB)ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (PDF, 338KB)简化字 (PDF, 152KB)Español (PDF, 77KB)正體字 (PDF, 286KB)Tiếng Việt (PDF, 199KB) 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
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
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
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 Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker PilotGovernment of Canada: "We’ve received at least 2,750 applications under the Home Child Care Provider pilot. Because of this
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." EXPOSING MIGRANT CARE WORKER EXPLOITATION DURING COVID- 19As 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
CHAPTER 5: STOLEN TIME: FAMILY SEPARATION AND IMPACT ON CHILDREN CHAPTER 6: STOLEN HEALTH: HEALTH IMPACTS AND ACCESS TO SERVICES
The Change Migrant Care Workers Need Right Now!
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 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. Answers to your questions on paying back the Canada Emergency Response BenefitThe 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.
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.  Workshop Questions
EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS
|
