“This pilot program is an important step forward in addressing the severe shortage of construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area,” said Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Sean Fraser.

In 2019, the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, in partnership with the Canadian Labor Congress, launched a pilot permanent residency program for 500 undocumented construction workers located in the Greater Toronto Area.

Due to the success of this program, Ottawa decided to increase the number of vacancies, to 1,000, guaranteeing “stability in the construction sector”, taking these same workers out of a “black economy”.

“By providing regular pathways for undocumented people, we are not only protecting workers and their families, but we are also protecting the Canadian labor market, ensuring that we can retain skilled workers in the country so that the economy can grow,” said Sean Fraser.

This program is one of several new measures implemented by the Liberal Government of Justin Trudeau, to try to reverse the impact of the lack of labor on the economy.

The program promotes greater stability in the construction industry, ensuring that workers in the country can respond to urgent housing construction needs.

Applicants will have to submit the proposal to the Labor Congress of Canada, which will determine the eligibility of candidacies.