Up to 6,000 undocumented construction workers will be given a pathway to gain legal status in Canada, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Friday in a news conference.
“These undocumented migrants are already living and working in Canada, and are contributing to the sector,” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in a statement.
“This pathway will keep them here legally so that they can continue to build the homes our economy and communities need with the proper protections.”
This announcement comes over two years after the federal government said it would be expanding a small-scale pilot project that offered permanent residence for out-of-status construction workers who are already working undocumented in the sector here.
The government did not provide further details on when the pathway will be implemented or the criteria for eligibility.
Canada’s construction sector is grappling with a severe worker shortage, with tens of thousands of jobs unfilled across the country. According to BuildForce Canada, “the industry could face a recruiting gap of more than 85,000 workers by 2033.”
A 2023 RBC report said the construction sector is short a whopping 64,000 jobs, posing a significant problem for an industry that must produce enough housing to meet demand from Canada’s ever-growing population — and the best workers for the job are newcomers.
In a bid to address these labour gaps, the federal government said it will be introducing “a temporary measure to allow foreign apprentices to complete their studies without a study permit,” effective March 7.
Previously, workers required a study permit to enroll in apprenticeships, and many were unable to legally apply for one from within Canada.
Ottawa also said it would set up a tripartite advisory council — comprised of federal government and union representatives, and industry leaders — to assess needs in the industry and advise on new pathways to bring in skilled workers, a regularization pathway for out-of-status construction workers and support for foreign apprentices.
Miller said members of this union-led council “will set the parameters as to whether we have to bring people in,” and determine the number, which could be as many as 14,000 workers.
The exact number of undocumented people in Canada remains uncertain, but federal estimates suggest it could be around 200,000 to 500,000 individuals. Advocacy group Migrant Workers Alliance for Change says the number may be even greater as the country has issued more temporary work and study permits in recent years.
The vast majority of undocumented residents came to Canada legally, only to later lose status because of issues with student visas, temporary work permits or asylum claims, advocates say.
Those issues are born out of an increasingly temporary immigration system, where many residents struggle to extend short-term permits and gain permanent residency.
Use of the temporary foreign worker program by businesses has skyrocketed in recent years in low-wage sectors — including construction and hospitality — sparking criticism of worker exploitation as the unemployment rate climbs across the country.
“We know that some workers who came here legally have continued to work after their status has expired,” Miller said.
“These workers — often called undocumented or out of status workers — can be in precarious positions exploited by their employers … and forced to work for lower wages and take unsafe jobs and aren’t treated with dignity.”
Advocates and critics have long called for permanent resident status for temporary foreign workers and the regularization of undocumented workers in the construction sector. They have also pointed out the inconsistency of government officials who blame ongoing housing shortages on migrants, many of whom are essential to building more homes.
“The federal government today is acknowledging that migrants are essential to resolving the housing crisis — and not responsible for causing it,” said Byron Cruz, a migrant rights advocate with Vancouver-based Sanctuary Health, in a statement. Cruz added that while the government’s move is a step forward, it must be expanded to include permanent resident status for all undocumented workers.
