Toronto: as CanadaThe biggest strike by federal workers has entered its third week, leaving thousands in immigration limbo amid canceled hearings and stalled applications, which could make it harder for the country to compete for global talent as employers struggle to make ends meet. Faced with a tight labor market.
About 155,000 federal civil servants have been on strike since April 19. While wages are a primary issue, the union also wants to include remote work in its collective agreement.
Lawyers told Reuters the strike has affected everyone from refugee claimants whose hearings have been canceled to migrant workers to foreign students.
Canada has raised its immigration target to a record-setting level and hopes to bring in 500,000 new permanent residents a year by 2025 to ease labor shortages in industries from construction to healthcare. Canada’s low birth rate makes immigration a major driver of economic growth.
Some newcomers are left waiting in foreign countries; Others wonder whether his permit will expire. Some employers are without essential staff. People waiting for passport cannot travel.
She said the office of immigration attorney Ksenia Tchern has been receiving calls from concerned clients.
“‘We haven’t heard anything back. What can we do?’ We are just asking them to have some patience.”
The strike caused delays as Canada’s immigration system continues to grapple with pandemic delays.
“A lot of customers are frustrated by the fact that it seems like we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. … We’re seeing a lot of customers left in limbo again,” Chern said.
Tchern said Canada recently held a draw for thousands of permanent residents it may not have the capacity to process.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister (IRCC) Sean Fraser said last week that because of the strike, tens of thousands of files could not be processed that otherwise would have been.
“The longer any work stoppage lasts, the more serious the impacts are going to be. We will continue to work to identify priority areas where lives may be at risk, to ensure that so that we can still maintain those essential functions.” told reporters.
Once the magnitude of the backlog is known, Fraser said, “we’ll have to look at what policy decisions we need to make to play catch-up.”
A spokeswoman for the Immigration Department, whose work has been affected by the strike, could not provide details about the strike’s effects on immigration services.
A big part of lawyer Lev Abramovich’s job is asking the courts to compel them to make decisions on delayed immigration files. Now their customers are seeing more disruption.
“It adds a lot of anxiety. It adds a lot of stress. It adds a lot of turbulence,” he said.
Immigration attorney Guidi Mammen said an immigration system perceived as dysfunctional could complicate efforts to lure talented immigrants.
“It just gives our immigration system a black eye. And if you’re competing for the best and brightest who are most in demand, you want to be at the top of their list of options.”
About 155,000 federal civil servants have been on strike since April 19. While wages are a primary issue, the union also wants to include remote work in its collective agreement.
Lawyers told Reuters the strike has affected everyone from refugee claimants whose hearings have been canceled to migrant workers to foreign students.
Canada has raised its immigration target to a record-setting level and hopes to bring in 500,000 new permanent residents a year by 2025 to ease labor shortages in industries from construction to healthcare. Canada’s low birth rate makes immigration a major driver of economic growth.
Some newcomers are left waiting in foreign countries; Others wonder whether his permit will expire. Some employers are without essential staff. People waiting for passport cannot travel.
She said the office of immigration attorney Ksenia Tchern has been receiving calls from concerned clients.
“‘We haven’t heard anything back. What can we do?’ We are just asking them to have some patience.”
The strike caused delays as Canada’s immigration system continues to grapple with pandemic delays.
“A lot of customers are frustrated by the fact that it seems like we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. … We’re seeing a lot of customers left in limbo again,” Chern said.
Tchern said Canada recently held a draw for thousands of permanent residents it may not have the capacity to process.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister (IRCC) Sean Fraser said last week that because of the strike, tens of thousands of files could not be processed that otherwise would have been.
“The longer any work stoppage lasts, the more serious the impacts are going to be. We will continue to work to identify priority areas where lives may be at risk, to ensure that so that we can still maintain those essential functions.” told reporters.
Once the magnitude of the backlog is known, Fraser said, “we’ll have to look at what policy decisions we need to make to play catch-up.”
A spokeswoman for the Immigration Department, whose work has been affected by the strike, could not provide details about the strike’s effects on immigration services.
A big part of lawyer Lev Abramovich’s job is asking the courts to compel them to make decisions on delayed immigration files. Now their customers are seeing more disruption.
“It adds a lot of anxiety. It adds a lot of stress. It adds a lot of turbulence,” he said.
Immigration attorney Guidi Mammen said an immigration system perceived as dysfunctional could complicate efforts to lure talented immigrants.
“It just gives our immigration system a black eye. And if you’re competing for the best and brightest who are most in demand, you want to be at the top of their list of options.”