A new significant development has been made by the Canadian government in supporting those facing forced displacements which is an irregular migration. The announcement made by the Honourable Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, intends to provide a regular pathway to people in the Americas and new stable economic opportunities through the humanitarian and economic programs for permanent residency and temporary work programs.
Earlier this year IRCC announced that they will welcome 15,000 migrants on a humanitarian basis from the Western Hemisphere, of these, 4,000 temporary foreign workers have already been welcomed to Canada. The new PR pathway for Colombians, Haitians, and Venezuelans will see 11,000 individuals immigrate to Canada this year through the new humanitarian permanent residence pathway.
Moreover, the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot is being implemented by Canada in collaboration with non-governmental organizations in the region. This pilot project aims to facilitate qualified refugees and other displaced people to immigrate to Canada, providing them with fresh prospects and a better future.
More detailed information will be available closer to the launch of the new pathway.
How to apply for the New Permanent Residence Pathway
The announcement was made on October 10th: Colombian, Haitian, and Venezuelan foreign nationals located in Central or South America or the Caribbean who have extended family connections in Canada will be eligible to apply for the new pathway starting this fall.
In order to qualify, the principal applicant must be children (regardless of age), grandchild, spouse, common-law partner, parent, grandparent, or sibling of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
To enable seamless integration into the new Canadian community, successful applicants will receive enhanced pre-arrival services, including employment skills assessments and referrals to organizations that assist newcomers in settling into their intended Canadian communities.
Canada's Plan to Support The Americas
Canada’s commitment to supporting migrants in the Americas has led to IRCC working closely with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to understand the regional context and humanitarian needs related to migration in the Americas. Furthermore, Canada also supports the work of the safe mobility offices in the region, whose objective is to consider individuals for humanitarian and other regular pathways.
Canada is investing $75 million over six years in projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to boost capacity-building efforts and enhance the integration of migrants and refugees into local communities and labour markets. These initiatives seek to strengthen the asylum capacity and raise the standard of living for migrants and refugees in countries they are coming from or passing through or host countries.
