Immigrants Brace Themselves As Canadian Strike Promises To Disrupt Their Cases

While negotiations continue, 155,000 members of Canada’s largest federal public-service union have walked off the job today. Since the strike involves nearly one-third of all federal public servants, both the government and the union have warned of disruptions, including slowdowns at the border and disruptions to immigration and passport applications.

The Government of Canada says it is committed to negotiating collective agreements that are fair for employees and reasonable for taxpayers. But it calls the union demands “unaffordable” and has identified how the strike could impact Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) services.

Some Services To Be Maintained

The good news is that some IRCC services will remain available. It will still be possible to: apply online, mail-in applications to IRCC, use online accounts that were opened by customers, and access some emergency services. In addition, some non-governmental services offered by NGOs will continue, such as settlement services from partner organizations, health care through the Interim Federal Health Program, and visa application centers outside of Canada.

Some Services Will Be Partially Or Fully Disrupted

The bad news is that among the IRCC services that will be impacted will be: processing applications, in-person appointments or events including citizenship ceremonies, contact with IRCC via email, phone or social media, and consular citizenship and passport services inside and outside Canada. As already mentioned, the strike also probably means likely slowdowns at airports and border crossings.

One Of The Largest Strikes in Canadian History

The strike is one of the largest in Canadian history. Wage increases have been the top item on the table, with the union pushing for annual raises of 4.5 percent over the next three years to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living. The Treasury Board says it offered the union a 9 percent raise over three years. While wages have been at the forefront of the union’s negotiations with the government, other issues, such as more anti-racism training for the government and an entrenching of the hybrid workplace, have also been on the table. From the government’s point of view the challenge with the strike is not to set a precedent for a country-wide wage increase appetite that could exacerbate inflation.

No Problem For Americans Travelling To Canada

For Americans and permanent residents of the United States wishing to travel to Canada on their passports or green cards, the disruptions should be minimal. However, for those individuals in the United States who wish to travel to Canada on passports from countries without visa free travel to Canada, such as many countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as detailed here, their travel will be disrupted. As both the New York and the Los Angeles Canadian Consulate services will be impacted by the strike, applicants for student visas, certain investor visa applicants, temporary resident permit and rehabilitation from criminal offense applicants, and those seeking passport services at the Consulates, are all likely to be delayed. Such immigrants will need to await a resolution to the strike.

There is no way to determine how long the strike will last. All applicants can do is wait for the parties to reach a deal and keep checking the news to see how the strike is being managed.