Pathway for permanent residency of refugee claimants in healthcare
| This article is archived, as it is not applicable anymore. |
The coronavirus pandemic put a significant strain on the Canadian healthcare sector. However, many refugee claimants stepped up and joined the healthcare workforce. Consequently, they showed their value to Canadian society. Many Canadians asked the government to offer permanent resident status to this group. Luckily, IRCC responded to the request positively in August 2020. However, the rollout of the pathway for permanent residency for refugee claimants postponed up until now.
- Who is a refugee claimant?
- A special pathway for permanent residency for qualified refugee claimants
- Which refugee claimants qualify for the special permanent residency pathway?
- Do you have an immigration question?
Who is a refugee claimant?
Click here for an up-to-date definition of refugee claimants.
To become a refugee, a person must apply at a port of entry or inside Canada. Consequently, an officer reviews the application. Thus, if they believe the applicant is eligible to file for refugee, they will send the application to IRB for further review. Of course, at this stage, the applicant becomes a refugee claimant. In other words, a refugee claimant is someone who has filed for asylum but has not received approval from IRB. The following diagram shows a typical pathway for permanent residency of refugee claimants in Canada.
A special pathway for permanent residency for qualified refugee claimants
If the claimant qualifies for the special pathway, they may directly apply for permanent residency. Consequently, the claimant skips the IRB hearing altogether. This is an amazing opportunity for the refugee claimant to acquire permanent resident status faster and with less hassle.
Which refugee claimants qualify for the special permanent residency pathway?
To qualify for the special pathway, you must meet all the following requirements:
- filed the claim before Mar 13, 2020
- received an open work permit upon submitting the claim
- worked in the healthcare sector
- worked in the healthcare facilities, such as
- hospitals
- long-term care homes
- assisted living facilities
- home care through an agency or an organization
- accumulated at least 120 hours of eligible work experience between Mar 13, 2020, and Aug 14, 2020
- held one of the following positions:
- orderlies or assistant orderlies
- nurses or nurses’ aids
- patient service associates
- certain home support workers
- accumulated at least six months of Canadian work experience in these positions before granting the PR status
- if a resident of Quebec received a CSQ
- meet the six months of work experience by Aug 31, 2021
- be admissible to Canada
Of course, you may submit your application only if you meet all the requirements. However, the accumulation of the six-month work experience could be deferred until Aug 31, 2021, and won’t affect the application’s submission. Nonetheless, IRCC will accept applications on Dec 14, 2020, and after.
Do you have an immigration question?
If you have a question about immigration or visa in Canada, fill out the following form. Of course, if your question is of generic nature, we will answer it at no cost. For example, a generic question could be: Which refugee claimants qualify for the special permanent residency pathway? However, if your question is not generic, we will advise you to book a consultation session with Al Parsai.
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Al Parsai, MA, DTM, RCIC
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Author – 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada
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