A temporary amnesty program allowed more than 8,500 undocumented foreign health care workers and their families to remain in Canada, according to Department of Immigration figures. The “guardian angels” program was a pandemic necessity, officials said..“Over 8,500 individuals have received permanent residence through this pathway which includes family members,” said a November 9 department briefing note Undocumented Workers. The program is no longer accepting applicants..According to Blacklock's Reporter, Guardian Angels was introduced Dec. 14, 2020 following labour shortages so severe cabinet called out the army to help staff nursing homes in Ontario and Québec. None of the foreign medical workers had a legal right to stay in Canada, though only a small undisclosed number crossed the border illegally..“An undocumented migrant is an individual who has no authorization to reside or work in Canada,” wrote staff. “The majority become undocumented by falling out of status when they cannot meet eligibility criteria for existing immigration programs after lawfully entering Canada and have overstayed their authorized period of stay.”.Staff said that only a small portion of undocumented migrants are thought to have unlawfully entered or were trafficked or smuggled into Canada. “There are no accurate figures representing the number or composition of undocumented immigrants residing in Canada..Estimates from academic sources range between 20,000 and 500,000 persons, although the report said there may be more..The Guardian Angels program wound up on Aug. 31, 2021. “Designated occupations that were included in this special measure were orderlies, nurses, nurses’ aides and patient service associates, assistant orderlies and certain home support workers who provided direct care to patients,” said the briefing note..Cabinet has since increased overall immigration quotas to 431,645 foreigners last year, a record. This year’s quota is 465,000 under an Immigration Levels Plan tabled in Parliament November 1..“Before the Omicron variant hit us there were 965,000 jobs available in Canada,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser (Central Nova, NS) said in testimony last May 12 at the Commons immigration committee. “We cannot fill those jobs with a domestic labour force.”.“If we want to maximize our economic potential as a country to pay for all the things we enjoy we need to bring more people into our workforce,” said Fraser. Immigrants “play an essential role in addressing some of our most severe labour shortages throughout the pandemic and as we enter the economic recovery phase,” he added.
A temporary amnesty program allowed more than 8,500 undocumented foreign health care workers and their families to remain in Canada, according to Department of Immigration figures. The “guardian angels” program was a pandemic necessity, officials said..“Over 8,500 individuals have received permanent residence through this pathway which includes family members,” said a November 9 department briefing note Undocumented Workers. The program is no longer accepting applicants..According to Blacklock's Reporter, Guardian Angels was introduced Dec. 14, 2020 following labour shortages so severe cabinet called out the army to help staff nursing homes in Ontario and Québec. None of the foreign medical workers had a legal right to stay in Canada, though only a small undisclosed number crossed the border illegally..“An undocumented migrant is an individual who has no authorization to reside or work in Canada,” wrote staff. “The majority become undocumented by falling out of status when they cannot meet eligibility criteria for existing immigration programs after lawfully entering Canada and have overstayed their authorized period of stay.”.Staff said that only a small portion of undocumented migrants are thought to have unlawfully entered or were trafficked or smuggled into Canada. “There are no accurate figures representing the number or composition of undocumented immigrants residing in Canada..Estimates from academic sources range between 20,000 and 500,000 persons, although the report said there may be more..The Guardian Angels program wound up on Aug. 31, 2021. “Designated occupations that were included in this special measure were orderlies, nurses, nurses’ aides and patient service associates, assistant orderlies and certain home support workers who provided direct care to patients,” said the briefing note..Cabinet has since increased overall immigration quotas to 431,645 foreigners last year, a record. This year’s quota is 465,000 under an Immigration Levels Plan tabled in Parliament November 1..“Before the Omicron variant hit us there were 965,000 jobs available in Canada,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser (Central Nova, NS) said in testimony last May 12 at the Commons immigration committee. “We cannot fill those jobs with a domestic labour force.”.“If we want to maximize our economic potential as a country to pay for all the things we enjoy we need to bring more people into our workforce,” said Fraser. Immigrants “play an essential role in addressing some of our most severe labour shortages throughout the pandemic and as we enter the economic recovery phase,” he added.
