Building on the success of the Canada permanent residence pilot program for 500 out-of-status workers in the construction industry in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), IRCC would be extending and expanding the pilot program, doubling its scope to 1,000 out-of-status construction workers in the GTA.
In 2019, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), in partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), launched a permanent residence pilot program for 500 out-of-status workers in the construction industry in the GTA.
This program acknowledges the critical role that construction workers play in building and growing our cities, and offers them and their families a path to permanent residency so that they can stay long-term.
This program is one of a number of new measures implemented to address labour shortages in Canada by ensuring that we bring and retain the workers we need to grow the economy and build Canada’s communities.
The program promotes greater stability in the construction industry and ensures that skilled workers in Canada continue to address critical housing development needs.
Just as important, this initiative will help bring a larger number of workers out of the underground economy, which benefits Canada’s world-renowned programs and services (like the Canada Child Benefit, Old Age Security and Employment Insurance).
What's Covered in This Article
About the public policy
The subsequent temporary public policy to continue to facilitate access to permanent resident status for out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) gives a limited number of construction workers and their dependents a pathway to permanent residence.
For this public policy, the GTA is defined as the City of Toronto and the regions of
- Durham
- Halton
- Peel
- York
This public policy will be in effect until January 2, 2024.
Thus, eligible individuals have until January 2, 2024, to apply for permanent residence and can include their spouses, partners and dependent children in their application.
Potential applicants will continue to submit their names to the CLC, who will determine their eligibility before referring them to IRCC.
About the process
If you meet the eligibility criteria, the first step is to complete the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) application intake form (PDF, 391 KB).
The CLC will check your application. If they find that you may be eligible, they’ll refer your permanent residence application to us. We make the final decision on your application.
IRCC will only be processing up to 1,000 applications in total.
If you’re approved
While IRCC finalize your permanent residence application, they’ll give you
- a temporary resident permit (TRP) and
- a work permit that lets you legally work in Canada
Family members
If you include family members in Canada in your application for permanent residence, they also need to apply for a work permit, study permit or TRP.
This will let them stay in Canada while we process the permanent residence application.
Family members included in your application who are not applying for a work or study permit must apply for a TRP.
If you have dependants who are not school-age, they must apply for a TRP.
They must pay the fees for the permit they’re applying for. You can apply for everything at the same time.
Who can apply
You can apply for permanent residence under this public policy if you meet all of these requirements. You must
- have entered Canada as a temporary resident but currently have no status
- live in Canada and have been here for at least 5 years
- have the right work experience
- have family in Canada
- be referred by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
- be otherwise admissible to Canada
Note: You and your family members cannot apply for permanent residence under this public policy if
- you or your family members have pending refugee claims or
- you or your family members are failed asylum claimants
When you entered Canada
When you first came to Canada, you need to have entered legally as a temporary resident.
Living in Canada
You must be living in Canada now and have been living in Canada continuously for 5 years or more.
To prove that you’ve been living in Canada, you can use copies of a lease or rental agreement. If you don’t have a lease or rental agreement, you may use a combination of other documents such as
- a letter from a landlord or property owner (the letter should include dates that you lived at that location)
- bills or bank statements with your name and address
Work experience
When you apply you must
- be working in Canada and
- have enough past work experience
You must have done the work outlined in the NOC job description of your occupation as well as most of the main duties.
Find the NOC code and title for your job.
Type of work experience – NOC 2021
Your current and past work experience must be in the construction industry in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in 1 of the occupations listed below
Eligible NOC 2021 Major Group 72 occupations (technical trades and transportation officers and controllers)
Eligible NOC 2021 Major Group 73 occupations (general trades)
Eligible NOC 2021 Major Group 75 occupations (helpers and labourers and other transport drivers, operators and labourers)
National Occupational Classification 2021
On November 16, 2022, we switched to the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
If you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022, your qualifying work experience must use the NOC 2016 requirements.
Type of work experience – NOC 2016
Your current and past work experience must be in the construction industry in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in 1 of the occupations listed under
- Major Group 72 – industrial, electrical and construction trades
- Major Group 73 – maintenance and equipment operation trades
- NOC 7441 – residential and commercial installers and servicers
- NOC 7521 – heavy equipment operators (except crane)
- NOC 7611 – construction trades helpers and labourers
How much work experience
In the past 5 years, you need to have worked a minimum of 4,680 hours.
Your work experience can be from
- 1 full-time job
- 1 or more part-time jobs
- a combination of full-time and part-time work
How to prove your work experience
To prove your past work experience, you can use
- copies of previous work permits
- copies of your T4 tax slips
- copies of your notice of assessments
- reference letters from your employers or coworkers
- copies of work contracts
- pay stubs
Check the document checklist IMM 0123 (PDF, 943 KB) to make sure you have all the documents you need to apply.
Family in Canada
When you apply, you must have family living in Canada. This can be either
-
extended family in Canada who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
-
a spouse, common-law partner or child in Canada
To prove your relationship with your family in Canada, you can use copies of a
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- family booklet
Referral from the CLC
The CLC is responsible for checking if you meet the requirements. To be eligible, you must be referred to us by the CLC. If the CLC finds that you may be eligible, they print a referral letter and send it to us along with your application. Ask the CLC for a copy of the referral letter to keep for your own records.
Be admissible to Canada
You and your dependants must not be inadmissible to Canada for reasons other than overstaying your temporary resident status and working without a valid work permit.
An immigration officer will determine if you’re inadmissible. The CLC isn’t responsible for determining your admissibility.
