Permanent Residence Program for Out-of-Status Construction Workers in the GTA

A new temporary permanent residence program has recently started for Out-of-Status Construction Workers in the Greater Toronto Area. The limited program will allow 500 workers and their families who meet the following conditions to obtain permanent residence even though they don’t have status in Canada:

1. They must have lived continuously in Canada for 5 or more years;

2. They must pass a language test (IELTS-General, CELPIP-General, TEF, or TCF) at the CLB level 4 which is a basic level of English or French in reading, writing, listening, and speaking;

3. They must have a family member in Canada who is:

– A spouse (married or common-law) or a child (the spouse or child does not have to be a Canadian or Permanent Resident); OR

– A parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew or cousin who is a Canadian or Permanent Resident

5. They must have originally entered Canada legally; and

6. They must have worked full-time within certain occupations in the construction industry in the GTA for 3 or more years within the past 5 years.

There are only 500 spots available for this policy. 400 spots are reserved for those who had at one time held a work permit and paid taxes. 100 are for those who have never held a work permit.

The applications are first submitted to the Canadian Labour Congress who will determine on a first-come-first-serve basis who can get one of those spots. All information that is submitted to the CLC will be kept confidential from the government unless the applicant is selected and issued a referral letter.

The Canadian Labour Congress has just started taking in applications in September. IRCC will take in applications starting on January 2, 2020.

We have recently been informed that there are still spots available for this initiative category. However, because this is a limited policy, we expect these spots to be taken up fast.

If you know anyone who might qualify, please have them contact our office to speak to a lawyer at (416) 548-9101 or email us at inquiries@lmlawgroup.com.