Workers dreaming of permanent residency protest changes to P.E.I.'s immigration streams

A few dozen workers gathered in downtown Charlottetown Thursday to protest changes to the province's immigration streams, and say they intend to demonstrate every day until changes are made.

"I want to be here for the rest of my life. But we just need a chance," said Rupinder Pal Singh, one of the protesters.

"We moved here with a lot of expectations, lot of interest in the province that we are going to grow together as one," he said. "But... they changed the rules and they eliminated us all out, like we were never here."

Back in February, the P.E.I. government announced it would cut the number of people from other countries that it nominates for permanent residency in Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The number of nominees will fall by 25 per cent in 2024, partly as a result of pressure on P.E.I.'s health-care system and housing market.

The province's new population strategy specified that of the spots that remained, people who work in specific occupations including health care and construction would be given priority.

Singh said he's lived in Charlottetown for a year and a half, after coming to Canada in 2019 to work toward a better future for himself and his family.

The sudden PNP changes didn't give us enough time to decide anything else. We are stuck on the same jobs and now our work permits are expiring.— Jaspreet Singh

With his work permit due to expire in about two months, he hopes Thursday's protest brings more awareness about the situation before he has to leave the province.

"We are working 10 hours a day and contributing [to] the economy and they are just helping people working in health care and construction," he said.

Points are a priority

The changes to the PNP program include a points system that was implemented last July. Before the points system was launched, Singh said, someone seeking permanent residency could eventually obtain it — as long as they worked a full-time job on P.E.I. for more than six months.

Now, more than 65 points are needed to be able to apply. As a 22-year-old, Singh said that's nearly impossible for him. For example, he gets only seven points for his age category, while those over age 25 would get 20 points.

Singh works as an internet tech sales representative, which under the National Employment Classification (NOC) is considered TEER 2, along with other jobs like electrician and plumber. (The acronym TEER stands for training, education, experience and responsibility.)

But now that the program requirements have changed, and there's a focus on occupations the province has deemed to be in demand, Singh says he won't be able to renew his work permit.

"Sales and services, food sectors…will be totally eliminated," he said.

'A waste of our life'

Navpreet Navpreet came to Canada from India five years ago. She lived in Richmond in Western P.E.I. before moving to Charlottetown, where she now works as a customer representative in tech.

"I came here so I can get a better future, and I can work hard for my family," she said.

Navpreet says her work permit expires at the end of June. If she doesn't get an extension, she will have to return to India.

"We have to go back home after spending five years here. It would be a waste of our life," she said.

Even if Navpreet trained in a health care or construction profession, she says it's unlikely she'd be able to get her work permit extended through the new program.

"Even if we are going in health care and construction… they need the person who already have experience," she said. "I hope they can hear us, understand us and at least give us extension."

The path to permanent residency

Another worker at the protest, Jaspreet Singh, says the expiration of his work permit would mean he wouldn't be able to legally work in Canada.

"I will go jobless. I wouldn't have enough money or food on the table," he said.

Singh, who's been on the Island for two years, says the change happened so quickly that he doesn't have the option to change fields before his work permit expires.

"The sudden PNP changes didn't give us enough time to decide anything else," he said. "We are stuck on the same jobs and now our work permits are expiring."

Singh says he's hoping for a response from federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller, or even the prime minister, before his work permit runs out in August.

"I came here with the hope that I will be able to file [for] my permanent residency, and [be] able to extend my work permit," he said. "I'm really worried about my future here in Canada and the sudden changes have made a drastic impact on my life."

Rupinder Pal Singh, like the others, says he's not asking for the government to lower the number of points required, but to let immigrants who already work in other sectors on the Island to stay and continue their path to permanent residency.

"We want to be part of P.E.I. progress, we want to be here, we want to create P.E.I. our new home," he said. "So we just want them to co-operate, and give us a chance to begin."

Opposition MLA meets with protesters

Charlottetown-West Royalty MLA Gord McNeilly spoke with protesters Thursday afternoon, the first government official to do so.

"I came out to support what's going on here and the people that came out, because I'm hearing a lot from constituents in my area that this is a problem," McNeilly said.

The Liberal MLA says that since the PNP rules were changed, some workers have already left the province, and he expects it will soon have an impact on businesses. He says the province should have given an exemption to workers who are already here.

"All they want is to be treated equally," McNeilly said. "If the province wanted to make changes, they should have grandfathered the people that were here — and they didn't do that, and this is what happens."

He said it's good the government wants to make changes to increase the number of health-care workers and construction workers, but that it shouldn't harm workers who are already here.

"Get your act together, get hospitals and schools and different things working," he said. "But not on the backs of people who want to stay here in Prince Edward Island."

McNeilly says the immigration minister has told him the decision is only temporary, but that he's not heard how long the current rules will be in place.