A potential labor strike may affect services by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as 159,000 public servants prepare to strike work in mid-April.
According to official sources from the government of Canada, there is a high probability of a labor strike involving 159,000 public servants. The strike will delay the processing of several immigration services, such as applications for temporary residence, visitor visas, citizenship, and permanent residence.
There will be delays in these services by the IRCC:
- Application processing
- In-person appointments
- Citizenship ceremonies
- Passport services
- Communications with IRCC through social media, mail, and phone
The strike may not affect the following services:
- Online applications
- E-mail applications to IRCC
- Access to online accounts
- Emergency services
The impending strike by government employees will not affect services by non-governmental organizations. These are:
- Visa Application Centers (VACs) outside Canada
- Interim Federal Health Program’s healthcare services
- Settlement services from partner organizations
There will be disruptions in the services of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). These relate to Labor Market Impact Assessments. The delays will affect the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Immigrants receive multiple services from employees working with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). These services comprise conferring citizenship, distribution of travel documents such as passports to citizens of Canada, and organizing in-person appointments in Canada. The employees may proceed on a legal strike by mid-April, causing delays and partial or total disruption of certain IRCC services.
