Start of special program for refugee claimants working in healthcare during the COVID pandemic

On August 14, 2020 the Federal Government announced that there would be a special pathway to permanent residence for failed or ongoing refugee claimants who were providing direct paid patient care as part of their job from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a terribly complicated program. This is just a rough outline of the rules of this program.

To qualify the refugee claimant must:

1. have made their claim before March 13, 2020;
2. have been issued a work permit after they made the refugee claim;
3. have the required work experience in one or more of these jobs;
   a. nursing coordinator or supervisor;
   b. registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse;
   c. licensed practical nurse;
   d. nurse aide, orderly or patient service associate;
   e. allied primary health practitioners, or;
   f. in some cases, a home support worker;
4. are still living in Canada;
5. have worked in that occupation at least 120 hours between March 13, 2020 and August 14, 2020, and;
6. have worked at least 30 hours a week for six months or 750 hours part-time in those occupations between March 13, 2020 and August 31, 2021.

The program closes August 31, 2021.

Someone with an ongoing refugee claim will have their claim put on hold once they apply under this program. Since the program only includes the applicant and their dependent family members currently in Canada, applicants must be very careful about withdrawing or terminating their refugee claims. This special program only covers the principal applicant and their dependent family members in Canada. To bring family members not currently in Canada, the principal applicant must sponsor them once the applicant becomes a permanent resident. This is unlike a successful refugee claim. In a successful refugee claim dependent family members outside of Canada are, in an indirect way, included in the application for refugee status. This is an especially important distinction if you have left older children overseas.