Non-clinical healthcare staff have called on the government of British Columbia to reverse its decision to exclude them from the updated Provincial Nominee Program.
The change means that now only those who are directly involved in patient care are eligible.
The BC PNP is an economic immigration program that allows the province to select newcomers to "help fill job vacancies or operate businesses." It had, until recently, included healthcare employees working behind the scenes, such as janitors and care aides.
Most of the 1,100 applications — a reduction over previous years — will be set aside for positions in the healthcare sector.
Among those who sounded the alarm was Jashanpreet Singh. Speaking outside Mark Carney's rally in Surrey on April 23, he said the government's actions felt like a "betrayal."
"They told us that you people are not part of healthcare," Singh lamented. "When we started working with them, they said that if you support us with the healthcare, if you work with us, we'll support you for your future in Canada. We'll support you for BC PNP."
Singh pointed out that it takes a whole team to keep the healthcare system running smoothly, noting that "housekeepers work, dietary aides give food to patients, security guys keep track of everything ... for doctors, nurses, for everyone's safety."
He said many of his fellow non-clinical staff were given one or two-year work permits, and that, "they promised us that if you work with us, you're gonna stay in Canada, and now over one year it's gone. They betrayed us ... and now we don't have anywhere to go."
"We worked hard during the pandemic," Singh said. "It was housekeeping people that were going into those infected rooms, contaminated rooms, to make it disinfected, clean it for the next patient."
He added that members of the general public he'd spoken with were unaware of the situation.
The BC government has not yet publicly addressed Singh's concerns.