Canada immigration officials not to consider undocumented Canada work experience

Canada, 12th January: Officials of Canada immigration department have expressed their shock and anger over the recent news regarding acceptance of undocumented work experience for applications of Canada visas.

According to Alykhan Velshi, an official spokesperson for Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney, the immigration department is outraged to know that undocumented work experience could be considered for applicants of Canadian permanent residency.

All the officials of CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) are being instructed to stop considering any such work experience for the Canada visa applications.

Recent news released last week had revealed that officials of CIC had given acceptance to the undocumented work experience for Canada visa applications through the provincial nominee programs.

A senior analyst of the CIC's headquarters based in Ottawa, Jacqueline Desjardins had written in an email that the undocumented work experience can be counted for PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) but there must be a confirmation of the undocumented work experience.

However, Jason Kenney has overruled the above statement of Desjardins.

Desjardins had issued the above statement regarding Canada work experience in reply to an email containing a query sent to the Canada immigration department.

Velshi stated that Canada has its door wide open for those wanting to immigrate provided they are ready to abide by the laws adding that working illegally is a strict violation of the Canadian laws. He added that any person working without a legal Canada work permit is not permissible to Canada as per the IRPA ( Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).

The PNP is a part of the Canada immigration process helping the Canadian provinces select immigrants in accordance with the skills in high demand.

According to Olivia Chow, an NDP immigration critic, immigration rules are above all and hence must be respected and adhered to by one and all. She felt her astonishment at the acceptance of the undocumented work experience by Canada immigration officials.

Chow clearly stated that anyone including any Canadian employer found to be employing undocumented workers in Canada with an aim to exploit them must be punished.

She called on the Canadian government for finding a permanent solution to the undocumented immigrants working in Canada.

Presently, Canada has around 500,000 undocumented workers.

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This is the news announced earlier in the week.

Canada immigration applicants can use undocumented work experience

Canada, 10th January: Potential immigrants wanting to move to Canada can use illegal work experience for gaining permanent residency in Canada.

This has been revealed by latest official documents found by QMI Agency.

The federal documents revealed that since those wanting to gain eligibility for Canada work visa have to rely on work experience, so, their Canada work experience as an undocumented worker was getting accepted by Canada government.

The documents in the form of emails between CIC's (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) senior officers contain questions and answers regarding work experience gained in Canada as an undocumented worker.

The email has been addressed to director of permanent resident policy and programs at Canada immigration department, Heidi Smith. The email contains queries regarding the difference between illegal work experience received outside Canada and work experience gained in Canada as an undocumented worker.

According to Jacqueline Desjardins, a senior analyst of Canada immigration department, work experience gained by an undocumented worker in Canada can be considered for PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) with the only condition being that the illegal work gets confirmation.

Just like Canada Federal Skilled Worker Visa program, PNP provides visas on the basis of skills in high demand in Canadian provinces.

Richard Kurland, an immigration policy analyst and a lawyer was astonished by the answer given by the CIC's senior analyst in Ottawa that its legal to work illegally.

Kurland stated that he had been asking all the applicants that Canada does not give recognition to work experience gained in Canada without a legal Canada work permit.

He also maintained that majority of workers working illegally in Canada might be doing so underneath and flouting the Canada laws and not paying taxes.

Moreover, many of the workers working in Canada without a legal Canada work permit might have come to Canada through illegal ways and few others might have immigrated to Canada on Canada study visas and been working in Canada along with pursuing studies in a Canadian educational institute, Kurland cautioned.

According to figures revealed by a local activist group in Canada, ‘No One is Illegal', Canada has between 200,000 and 500,000 staying in Canada without having legal documents.