Back to Search
The federal government is planning to launch a new immigration program that would grant legal status to thousands of undocumented migrants working in construction, in an effort to address a labour shortage that unions and associations say is hamstringing the sector.
Details remain scant, but Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the government would reserve space for 6,000 undocumented workers across the country to be legalized. Many of them came to Canada legally, but their temporary work visas have expired.
The program builds off a pilot program launched in 2020 that provided a route to permanent residency for out-of-status construction workers who resided in the Greater Toronto Area.
“We know that some workers who came here legally have continued to work after their status has expired,” Mr. Miller said at a news conference in Woodbridge, Ont. “It would be shooting ourselves in the foot to ask them to leave when they have been contributing to Canada.”
Subscribe to Blog