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Help During COVID: Asylum Seekers Can Now Stay in Canada

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August 25, 2020

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spscanada

Asylum Claimants working on Front-Line during COVID, offered pathway to Permanent Residency

Asylum Seekers on the Front Lines of COVID Can Become Permanent Residents

The government recognizes the extraordinary contribution of asylum claimants working in Canada’s health-care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in long-term care centres. As these individuals face an uncertain future in Canada, the current circumstances merit exceptional measures in recognition of their service during the pandemic.

—The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Amidst the pandemic, front-line workers have played a very crucial role for keeping the Canadians healthy. As a recognition for their selfless and exceptional service, Canada’s Minister Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, made an announcement on August 14, 2020 that asylum claimants working in the health-care sector, during this pandemic, will be provided with a temporary measure to apply for permanent residence.

With this measure, asylum claimants working on the front line to provide care for those in the health-care institutions can apply for the permanent residency, if they meet the criteria. Quebec will however select candidates who are willing to reside in Quebec for this special temporary measure in place. The motif of this measure is to recognize the invaluable bravery immigrants with precarious immigration status have shown putting their own lives at risk to care for others.

In case the application gets approved, humanitarian and compassionate consideration, aligned with the government’s commitment for family reunification, the family members in Canada of the principal applicant would also be included in the application and will be granted permanent residency.

Those applicants who were found ineligible to make an asylum claim or may have withdrawn the application or have been abandoned, are excluded from applying.

Following are the qualification criteria of the individuals. You must have

  • Claimed asylum before March 13, 2020
  • Been issued a work permit after the claim was made
  • Worked in the health care sector – hospitals, long-term care homes, home care through an organization or agency, assisted living facilities)
  • Worked for minimum of 120 hours between March 13, 2020 and August 14, 2020, in a designated occupation – orderlies, nurses, nurses’ aides and patient service associates, assistant orderlies and certain home support workers
  • Must have six months of experience in the designated occupation, before the permanent residence is granted, which must be acquired until August 31, 2021.
  • Must have a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), if wishing to reside in Quebec
  • Should meet other admissibility requirements, related to criminality, security, and health

Even in this pandemic, Government of Canada has introduced a series of temporary measures to help combat these unprecedented times, for many immigrants, who were not sure of their steps ahead, for which we must all be thankful. It is always good to know that immigrants have been prioritized with their needs to secure their status, which could’ve been lost, if the government did not have put in place these special temporary measures to help temporary and permanent residence applicants.

Get in touch with SPS Canada

Receive professional advice on any of your questions regarding Canadian immigration. get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Canada. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).

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