Canadian work permits: long processing times lead to challenges for temporary workers A few weeks ago, Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) estimated processing times for work permit applications by temporary residents increased dramatically. Summer months are always busier for the CIC offices, but we have seen dramatic increases in processing times this year. As an example, at the beginning of June, the processing time for a work permit extension increased from 60 days to 90 days. Since then, the processing times have continued to increase. On June 18 it was 97 days to process a work permit extension and a day later it was 102 days to process a work permit extension. So, how does this impact you? People who are living and working in Canada under temporary work permits (e.i. under Live in Caregiver Program (LCP)) have a number of important documents linked to their status, including health care benefits, a social insurance number, and insurance. It is important to plan ahead. A common question I get is: “Can I continue working while my application is pending?”, or “do I have to leave Canada while the application is being processed?” If you have an application for temporary residence submitted to a CIC office you have what is called Implied Status. According to Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations 186(u), a temporary worker who has applied for an extension prior to the expiry of their original work permit and is in compliance with all of the terms established in their work permit maintains their original status until a decision has been made by CIC regarding their application. In BC, the provincial health care provider is MSP and all residents must be enrolled with them. However, your MSP coverage is based on the dates outlined on your work permit. Your health care card will have an expiry date that matches the date on your Work Permit. The same is true for your Social Insurance Number (SIN). So, while you are waiting for your application to be processed by CIC, you will need to purchase private health insurance which, depending on the level of coverage, can start at approximately $100 per month. This is double the regular cost of MSP. Work permit holders in Nova Scotia (warning!) are not covered under that province’s health care plan if they are out of the country for more than 30 days. If the applicant has less than one year remaining on their work permit they will not re-instate medical coverage and the employee will need to get third-party insurance. The current increased processing times have a negative financial impact on people who are applying for work permit extensions. Instead of paying for additional health coverage for two months, they are now paying for almost four months of coverage. The key is to plan ahead. If you have a temporary work permit, you need to apply for an extension at least four months before your work permit expiry date to ensure that your SIN and MSP / OHIP can be extended without any gaps. This isn’t always possible, but in some cases it is. If you are applying under a provincial nominee category, make sure that you request a Letter of Support from the applicable provincial nominee process even if you think you have enough time remaining before the expiry of your work permit. This will ensure that you can apply for an extension without worrying about CIC processing times. And of course, an application as a permanent resident avoids the need to apply for extensions or re-new permits
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:55:25 +0000
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