Are you a CUPE member working with temporary immigration status?
- Are you an international student, on a temporary work permit, or waiting for your permanent residency application?
- Do you have a temporary work permit that will expire soon?
- Were you promised a path to permanent resident status that is no longer available?
CUPE fights every day for its members, including you.
The federal government, through the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, made sweeping changes to immigration policies at the end of 2024. As a result, it is estimated that 2.3 million people will lose their work permits and risk deportation from 2025-2027.
These changes affect CUPE members who have temporary immigration status under programs such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Student Program.
Current members, with temporary work permits, may no longer be able to renew their work permits or have a pathway to permanent residency. If you or someone you know is affected by these changes, please contact Kelti Cameron, CUPE International Solidarity (kcameron@cupe.ca), and Emma Lui, CUPE Human Rights (elui@cupe.ca).
- If you have an open work permit, you continue to have the right to work until it expires or while you have maintained status.
- Some types of work permits require employer participation and letters from employers. Contact your union if you are having trouble accessing these documents.
- If you are a member who is undocumented and working without status, you can still be involved in your union and we recommend you obtain legal immigration advice immediately.
STATUS FOR ALL
CUPE believes in status for all – this means no resident in Canada should have to live on temporary status. Temporary status creates precarity and exposes migrant workers to employer abuse. It is difficult to take action alone but together with other workers and organizations we can fight for change.