MANILA— Filipino caregivers and other essential workers in Canada with temporary status may apply for permanent residency beginning May 6, Ottawa's embassy in Manila said Tuesday.
This paves the way for those granted permanent residency to eventually file for sponsorship of their relatives in Canada.
“The announcement… to accelerate processing for caregivers with an application in process recognizes that many caregivers working in Canada are waiting to be reunited with their loved ones while their applications are being processed,” the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines said in a Tweet.
Over 90,000 temporary workers and international graduates may submit their applications to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under 3 pathways, the Canadian government said in a statement.
The IIRC will accept 20,000 applications for temporary workers in 40 health care occupations, 30,000 applications for temporary workers in 95 other essential jobs, and 40,000 applications for international students who graduated from a Canadian institution, it said.
Essential workers are eligible if they have at least 1 year of work experience in Canada in a health care profession or another pre-approved essential occupation, while international graduates must have completed an eligible Canadian post-secondary program within the last 4 years, and no earlier than January 2017.
The deadline for applications is on November 5 or until the slots have reached their limit, the Canadian government said.
It added that the program is part of the country's 2021 Immigration plan, which aims to welcome 401,000 new permanent residents to address "labor shortages and add growth to our workforce."
The program also aims to speed up the processing of permanent residency applications so workers are able to sponsor their eligible family to join them in Canada, the Canadian Embassy in Manila said.
"Our message to them is simple: your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting—and we want you to stay," said Marco Mendicino, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
"The pandemic has shone a bright light on the incredible contributions of newcomers. These new policies will help those with a temporary status to plan their future in Canada, play a key role in our economic recovery and help us build back better."
Immigrants "often report higher wages" a year after becoming permanent residents, the Canadian government said.
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