The Yukon government will be requesting that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) up the Yukon’s nomination allocation for the Yukon nominee program for 2025, but that falls short for some immigrant workers whose work permits are expiring.
According to a communications staffer in the territorial Economic Development department, the department can’t provide certainty on those numbers until February or so, when the allocation confirmation comes in from IRCC, who makes that determination.
That doesn’t help a Whitehorse-based worker whose work permit expires this fall. They feel lost following the Yukon government’s temporary pause on accepting Whitehorse-based applications for the Yukon nominee program this year.
The worker, whose name the News is withholding due to their precarious situation, has reached out to Yukon MP Brendan Hanley for help since they’re not getting a clear picture from territorial and federal government offices.
“It’s all messed up,” the worker told the News by phone.
They got a job, and their employer was ready to apply to the Yukon nominee program, but on May 16, Premier Ranj Pillai announced that the government won’t be taking submissions for the program from employers in the Yukon’s capital.
The program is intended to help employers fill job openings by bringing in foreign workers. New applications from Whitehorse aren’t being accepted, although rural businesses can still apply for nominees.
Pillai has backed the decision to temporarily pause the intake for the Yukon nominee program because it has surpassed its cap for 2024 and a backlog of current applications continues to be processed.
Following meetings with Canada’s premiers, Pillai recently expressed concern about potentially losing immigrant workers due to a lack of a strategy to keep them here.
He said the Yukon is feeling the impact of an “immense” number of international students entering post-secondary schools in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia who are now trying to become Canadians across the country, including by filling gaps in the Yukon workforce.
Pillai noted the territory hit its IRCC-imposed target in the Yukon nominee program within three months this year.
He urged the federal government to realize the implications of quick decisions on the economy by looking forward at immigration programs.
The worker the News spoke with is one of those immigrants whose time is running out.
After studying in Ontario, they said they really like the Yukon. They started working part-time before taking on full-time work and getting the go ahead for a nomination from their employer. They don’t have options elsewhere because they can’t get a job without having experience.
Their family depends on their earnings.
“We don’t have any idea how to handle this,” the worker said.
They want to sit with Hanley or Pillai to explain their situation and help workers like them by advocating for an extension for those whose work permit is expiring.
No one from the Yukon government was made available for interview, although written responses to the News' questions indicate the government is working with the feds on this topic.
“We are actively working with the Government of Canada on options to help those whose post-graduation work permits are due to expire, and continue to look at ways to assist generally,” Linnea Blum, who works in Economic Development communications, said by email.
An announcement with more details will be made when those details are available, Blum wrote.
In total for 2024, 430 individuals will be nominated for permanent residency through the Yukon nominee program, she noted.
“We are also looking at how we can use Yukon’s allocations in a strategic way,” Blum said. “We want to ensure that the Yukon’s immigration programs are sustainable, and that they balance needs of the labour market with other territorial objectives.”
Workers are being advised to contact territorial and federal government offices, per Blum. Workers and employers are being encouraged to check out available federal immigration programs.
“Other options that may be available to workers include the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the Skilled Worker Program or the Francophone Mobility Program through IRCC. We encourage workers to contact IRCC to discuss options for alternate programs or for work permit extensions,” Blum said.
“If anyone is in need of immediate social support services, like food or housing, our staff can help direct them to organizations that provide this assistance.”
Blum said the Yukon government encourages workers that are actively seeking work in Yukon communities to continue to do so.
A written response to the News' questions from IRCC spokesperson Mary Rose Sabater advises workers to contact the Yukon government because it doesn’t offer advice.
“Anyone can apply for temporary or permanent residence in Canada, provided they meet the criteria,” reads the IRCC statement, which directs foreign nationals to review its website.
The post-graduate work permit program continues to be under review, according to IRCC. While a temporary policy was introduced in response to COVID-19 pandemic-related labour disruptions to provide an additional open work permit to those eligible permit holders as their initial work permit was expiring, that policy hasn’t been extended. Those with this kind of work permit who wish to continue working in Canada need to apply for any other kind of work permit that they are eligible for.
“IRCC is working with the Government of Yukon to support foreign workers who are facing work permit expiration,” reads the IRCC statement.
“As announced on May 8, IRCC will be introducing a public policy to extend work permits for two years for certain temporary residents identified by participating provinces and territories with valid work permits that are set to expire in 2024 which includes post-graduation work permits.”
On May 8, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller announced he approved Manitoba’s request to extend temporary resident status for potential nominees identified under the province’s provincial nominee program who have work permits that will expire in 2024. As noted in the statement to the News, this measure applies to those who have applied to the nominee program in their respective province or territory and are “nomination-ready” as determined by authorities.
Miller determines the annual allocations “in consultation” with provinces and territories and informs them of those numbers through bilateral ministerial letters. IRCC is still working with the Yukon government on this, per the statement.
“Provinces regularly request allocation increases and these requests are one factor that is considered in determining allocations. Some of the other factors that are considered when determining allocations include the availability of levels space, the state of the application inventory, application processing times, and provincial and territorial immigration needs, as communicated during consultations,” reads IRCC’s statement.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com