Sign petition: New citizenship rules affecting foreign workers

[ZingyDNA]

I was considered "resident" for tax purposes since day 1 when I started working in Canada. Funny for other purposes I've always been considered "non-resident". Why shouldn't foreign workers like him and I receive the same rights if we contribute the same, if not more than Canadians who were born here?

You logic is like: you chose to come here, so what if we treat you like crap? Leave if you don't like it. I bet you already got your citizenship, didn't you? Would you have the opinion before that? :

Are you saying you came as a TEMPORARY foreign worker? I'm sure you appreciate that most developed countries do not provide foreign workers with any path to residency and citizenship. However, rather than appreciating the opportunity you were provided, you are complaining that you didn't receive the full rights from the first day?

Also, please keep in mind that you came to Canada voluntarily to make a better life for yourself and your family, which is admirable. You did not come as a favor to the government, and your taxes were not charitable contributions or gifts that entitle you to anything other than the benefits you enjoy on a daily basis (i.e., healthcare, schooling, social services, etc.).

 

[Matt the Aussie]

A temporary foreign worker is not a visitor and should not be treated the same as one or confused for one. A TFW lives in Canada while they work, pays taxes, contributes to Canadian society. Hence the CEC category in the first place, which recognises this fact.

A visitor does not live in Canada while visiting.

 

[torontosm]

I was considered "resident" for tax purposes since day 1 when I started working in Canada. Funny for other purposes I've always been considered "non-resident". Why shouldn't foreign workers like him and I receive the same rights if we contribute the same, if not more than Canadians who were born here?

You logic is like: you chose to come here, so what if we treat you like crap? Leave if you don't like it. I bet you already got your citizenship, didn't you? Would you have the opinion before that? :

Who is treating you like crap? Yes, you were a resident for tax purposes, but you were also a resident for the purposes of benefits. Did you not receive the same healthcare as I did? Do your kids do not attend the same schools at the same cost as mine? Where exactly are you being mistreated?

I am not advising you to leave. I am advising you to think rationally before you abuse a system that, in my personal opinion, is more than fair. And yes, I received my citizenship many, many years ago, but I have always held the same beliefs. When I was here as a PR, I wasn't complaining about how much I contributed vs. the contributions of citizens. Rather, I was grateful for Canada for giving me a path to citizenship which most other developed countries don't. And I definitely wasn't desperately trying to expedite getting a passport because I intended to make Canada home for the long term, so an extra year would not have made any difference to me.

 

[torontosm]

A temporary foreign worker is not a visitor and should not be treated the same as one or confused for one. A TFW lives in Canada while they work, pays taxes, contributes to Canadian society. Hence the CEC category in the first place, which recognises this fact.

A visitor does not live in Canada while visiting.

Yes, but as stipulated in the very title of the program, a TFW is NOT a PR and does not qualify to be treated the same as a PR for purposes of citizenship. They are in Canada for a limited period of time to fulfill a specific need. And yes, they pay taxes and contribute, and in return, they receive benefits from the government.

 

[CECapplicantXX]

I didn't came here as a visitor ... & I agree with u that visitors shouldn't be treated same as PR ... I came here as a student .. Paid 10times more tution & been paying taxes for 6 years now .. Am nt complaining about it ... Am happy to do so coz I see the return ..

My point was it nt not fare that all the 10 years I lived here & contributed to Canada will not be considered according to the new bill .. This is wat I consider not fare .. Am sure ppl who came here as immigrants suffered as well & waited for many many years ... But I still think we shouldn't be treated the same ..

& we keep forgetting that ppl won't leave thier homes & families for the heck of it ... Some of us don't even have a home anymore & just looking for the opportunity to sleep without beig afraid & have the simple privileges as electricity & water ... So ppl come here hoping to be treated fairly & feel free not to take advantage of the country ... At the end of the day we all live on the same planet ... Borders & passports & visas were invented this past 100 years .. Before that ppl traveled where ever they wanted & lived where ever they feel safe & can provide to thier families ...

Canada is a land of immigrants ppl who came from all over ... The navtive people of this land are wellcoming everyone & they don't even have a say about who comes here ..

Anyways you all have valid points & augments, just hope u try & see the others point of view ...

 

[ferna]

Are you saying you came as a TEMPORARY foreign worker? I'm sure you appreciate that most developed countries do not provide foreign workers with any path to residency and citizenship. However, rather than appreciating the opportunity you were provided, you are complaining that you didn't receive the full rights from the first day?

Also, please keep in mind that you came to Canada voluntarily to make a better life for yourself and your family, which is admirable. You did not come as a favor to the government, and your taxes were not charitable contributions or gifts that entitle you to anything other than the benefits you enjoy on a daily basis (i.e., healthcare, schooling, social services, etc.).

Yes, we have chosen Canada because we thought Canada is different from other countries in dealing with foreign workers and students. We don't request to have all the rights from day 1, however we want government to recognize our time being here and our contribution to the community and economy. We all are well merged into the society and most of us already know Canada as our home. On the other hand a new landed immigrant is not yet connected to the country and it takes time for him/her to get used to rules and culture here. He/She has to go through the same path we had to go though years ago. Yet we both have to wait 4 years after getting our PR status to be eligible for citizenship. Sorry, but I cannot find any logic in this.

 

[LPS]

Yes, but as stipulated in the very title of the program, a TFW is NOT a PR and does not qualify to be treated the same as a PR for purposes of citizenship. They are in Canada for a limited period of time to fulfill a specific need. And yes, they pay taxes and contribute, and in return, they receive benefits from the government.

I'm inclined to agree. Being a temporary worker comes with many caveats and "paying taxes" is simply a condition of being allowed to work here.

Whether time spent as a TFW ought to count (even partly) toward citizenship is only going to be a matter of opinion, and it's clear which side of the issue most people here are on, but I don't think any PR has a real claim to being mistreated.

 

[torontosm]

I didn't came here as a visitor ... & I agree with u that visitors shouldn't be treated same as PR ... I came here as a student .. Paid 10times more tution & been paying taxes for 6 years now .. Am nt complaining about it ... Am happy to do so coz I see the return ..

What was the return you were seeking? Was it citizenship in as short a time period as possible? If so, this was never promised and you yourself chose an odd path to get there. Was it an education and hopefully a career? If so, you seem to have achieved that. As for your fees, international students will ALWAYS pay more than local students (who enjoy subsidized education as a benefit). Yes, you paid more, but your parents didn't pay taxes like all the Canadian students you are comparing yourself to. I will happily reimburse you for the difference in your educational fees vs. a resident if you will reimburse me for the taxes I have paid over the years!

& we keep forgetting that ppl won't leave thier homes & families for the heck of it ... Some of us don't even have a home anymore & just looking for the opportunity to sleep without beig afraid & have the simple privileges as electricity & water ... So ppl come here hoping to be treated fairly & feel free not to take advantage of the country .

Yes, leaving home is always difficult. However, that is a personal choice you made. Nobody forced you to move to Canada. And, as far as I can see, you are being treated very fairly. Compare this to the US whereby you would had to pay similar fees (if not higher), would have stuggled to find a sponsor to get a H-1/B working visa (which are extremely limited), had no clear path to residency and have had to invest a lot more time to gain citizenship. Following that, you would be taxed on your global income for life, regardless of where you lived. Do you still think Canada is unfair?

 

[torontosm]

Yes, we have chosen Canada because we thought Canada is different from other countries in dealing with foreign workers and students. We don't request to have all the rights from day 1, however we want government to recognize our time being here and our contribution to the community and economy. We all are well merged into the society and most of us already know Canada as our home. On the other hand a new landed immigrant is not yet connected to the country and it takes time for him/her to get used to rules and culture here. He/She has to go through the same path we had to go though years ago. Yet we both have to wait 4 years after getting our PR status to be eligible for citizenship. Sorry, but I cannot find any logic in this.

So according to you, people who are already in Canada should be awarded preferential treatment over other immigrants? Doesn't sound like the even-handed fair system that everyone claims they want or deserve. It just sounds like you want a system that favours you over others.

the logic is that EVERYONE will be treated fairly and evenly from the day they become a PR. Under the current system, this is not the case and the government wishes to do away with the inequality. It makes perfect sense to me. If you truly view Canada as your "home", then waiting an extra year to become a citizen shouldn't really be that big of an issue.

 

[ferna]

What was the return you were seeking? Was it citizenship in as short a time period as possible? If so, this was never promised and you yourself chose an odd path to get there. Was it an education and hopefully a career? If so, you seem to have achieved that. As for your fees, international students will ALWAYS pay more than local students (who enjoy subsidized education as a benefit). Yes, you paid more, but your parents didn't pay taxes like all the Canadian students you are comparing yourself to. I will happily reimburse you for the difference in your educational fees vs. a resident if you will reimburse me for the taxes I have paid over the years!

Yes, leaving home is always difficult. However, that is a personal choice you made. Nobody forced you to move to Canada. And, as far as I can see, you are being treated very fairly. Compare this to the US whereby you would had to pay similar fees (if not higher), would have stuggled to find a sponsor to get a H-1/B working visa (which are extremely limited), had no clear path to residency and have had to invest a lot more time to gain citizenship. Following that, you would be taxed on your global income for life, regardless of where you lived. Do you still think Canada is unfair?

I don't know why people keep comparing Canada to US. Canada has to have some ground to encourage high skilled individuals to choose here over USA; Otherwise will loose this battle to US. And what would be that motivation when US has better weather and high tech companies are all over there?!!!

 

[ferna]

So according to you, people who are already in Canada should be awarded preferential treatment over other immigrants? Doesn't sound like the even-handed fair system that everyone claims they want or deserve. It just sounds like you want a system that favours you over others.

the logic is that EVERYONE will be treated fairly and evenly from the day they become a PR. Under the current system, this is not the case and the government wishes to do away with the inequality. It makes perfect sense to me. If you truly view Canada as your "home", then waiting an extra year to become a citizen shouldn't really be that big of an issue.

FYI it won't be one more year. For us it will be TWO more years!

 

[torontosm]

FYI it won't be one more year. For us it will be TWO more years!

The same rationale applies, be it one, two or three more years.

 

[ferna]

The same rationale applies, be it one, two or three more years.

Yup! what a perfect rationale, you can apply it to all situations!
Anyways I did not say we need to be treated differently from other landed immigrants. What I said was exactly opposite. We have to be treated the same. If it takes them 4 years to get used to the Canadian values, then why I have to wait 10 years for it??! So does government say I only can learn these so called VALUES if I am a PR??!!

 

[Matt the Aussie]

...

If it takes them 4 years to get used to the Canadian values, then why I have to wait 10 years for it??! So does government say I only can learn these so called VALUES if I am a PR??!!

This is what frustrates me.

There are so many PRs who get their status on day one of arrival. I am happy for them. Meanwhile, others like myself who are permanently set up here and will not leave, have to wait 2 years longer because we followed the correct procedures for TFWs? Tell me, why is a TFW becoming PR any better or worse than a spouse of a citizen becoming a PR? A refugee becoming a PR? An investor becoming a PR? Simply because their paperwork was done outside the country they are better people? That makes no sense to me.

 

[fkl]

There are a lot of things many NON temp resident people do not know and see it as fair based upon their limited knowledge.

Apart from taxes (which is a fair deal since you are reaping other benefits), temp workers pay all long term things like pension plans (which they might not get unless they get a PR), old age benefits etc.

And they have a very hard time getting any sort of credit be it a credit card, car financiing / leasing / mortgage etc. Plus there are no child care contributions for a certain amount of time already (1.5 years).

Please do not confuse this with visit visas. TWP programs are used because the PR processing times are too long for any practical purpose.

And there might be people who were doing very good in home countries, got a good job offer (because they possessed some special skills that were hard to find in Canada), came over here foreseeing some advantages and latter discovered they are not eligible for any long term planning here. Cannot mortgage a house, cannot even get a car lease going beyond work permit expiry. Even if they do some how get credit cards and have PERFECT history, still banks wouldn't charge them much higher interest rate for any short term e.g. car financing merely because they are TEMP residents.

This is differential treatment and specially for people with very stable career and life back home WHO DID NOT KNOW what it meant to be a temp resident, it is quite a shock. Having been lived through these situations while contributing MORE than a regular citizen to govt of Canada (because you have the same financial obligations as them, but are not eligible for all benefits as them) does sound deserving more than a person who merely landed today as a PR. This is exactly the definition of being fair and by the way most developed countries do have SOME path to citizenship if you have been working there for a while. It is true that time frames vary and Canadian ones are good. But that is exactly the reason Canada is being preferred in many ways and it is not done by Canadian government out of gratitude. It is purely based upon their needs of getting qualified humans to be added to this country. It is far less populated country than any other in the world and the immigration programs and counts clearly reflect those.