Ontario Wants Trained Nurses to Work
The province is implementing measures to streamline the process
Amid Bill 124, the collapsing health care system, and the exhaustion experienced by nurses and doctors, Ontario officials are now presenting a solution. Clearly, Ontario's health care system is in dire need of more nurses and doctors for support.
The solution is improving the process and removing barriers for internationally-trained nurses to become accredited in the province of Ontario. A CBC report reviewed the timeframe and measures being taken to register international nurses at a quicker pace.
Read More: Unemployment Rate Low, But More Workers Needed
Regulatory colleges for doctors and nurses have been notified and directed by Ontario's health minister Sylvia Jones regarding international aid.
Colleges were directed to create a plan that allows for a quicker registration process for international nurses and doctors. Premier Doug Ford also weighed in on the matter, only allocating two weeks to see changes implemented and processes elevated.
Waiting Days, not Hours in Ontario Emergency Rooms
It's easy to guess the reason for an increasing need for support from international nurses and doctors, are the length and ongoing wait times in emergency rooms. The reason lies in the crippling shortage of nurses in Ontario hospitals, leaving the available nurses overrun by workloads and subject to exhaustion. Based on data released by Health Quality Ontario, patients are waiting on average a whopping 20.7 hours to be admitted from an emergency room into the hospital. It's evident that Ontario's health care is crumbling and both medical personnel and patients are suffering the consequences.
Read more: Work Permits Among Five Priorities on IRCC's Budget
International nurses incoming at unprecedented rates
By the direction of both Premier Ford and Health Minister Jones, the College of Nurses of Ontario is elevating the process for international nurses accredited in Ontario. This has led to a record-breaking number in terms of processing internationally training medical professionals. Though these numbers are record-breaking, it is not the first year this has occurred. According to an announcement published by the College of Nurses
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) set a new record for registering internationally educated nurses, breaking last year's record in just six months. As of June 21, 2022, the number of new internationally educated registrants reached 3,967 — a 132% increase compared to this time last year.
CNO hopes that the quicker processing rates will allow for a spike in support for Ontario hospitals and medical establishments in the coming months. However, many are frustrated that officials took so long to establish a plan or to mobilize institutions to address the staffing shortages.
Read more: Ontario Wants Thousands of Foreign-Trained Nurses
Steps should've already been taken according to nursing unions
When Health Minister Jones and Premier Ford intervened with recommendations to streamline the processing, many had the opinion that this should have happened months ago. After being on the front lines and dealing with the wrath that COVID-19 unleashed on our public, nurses and doctors are profoundly overworked and suffering from burnout.
So having these actions come so late in the game was a shock to many and raised concerns about the future. A CBC report notes the status of the Ontario healthcare system and plans intended to go along with the integration of international healthcare workers.
Three Ontario healthcare unions have proposed a plan calling on the province to address hospital staffing shortages, while new Statistics Canada data highlights 22,000 health-sector jobs lost in July 2022.
International Students Get An Extra Year To Get PGWP
Online Courses Extended To August 2023
To save the school year for international students who will unlikely receive their study permits before they start school, the federal government extended online studying to students studying abroad and still allowed them to remain eligible for post-graduation work permits (‘PGWP’).
International students who are studying from abroad or who submitted their study permit application no later than August 31, 2022, can still complete 100% of their program online without affecting their eligibility for a Post-Graduate Work Permit. The latest IRCC decision lets international students study from abroad take online courses for an extra year and still qualify for the visa.
Read More: What Is Canada Doing To Keep International Students?
Students can take their online courses as part of the distance learning measures until August 31, 2023. However, they're being reduced in scope, said the IRCC in their announcement.
After that, things are going back to normal and all the study time completed from abroad starting on September 1, 2023, will be deducted from the length of their PGWP. To stay eligible for the permit, no more than 50% of the credits earned can be completed from outside Canada.
The Decision Comes A Week After India Put Pressure On The Government
Just a while ago, India, one of the biggest sources of immigrants for Canada - international students included - called on Ottawa to cut study permit processing times.
Indian students enrolled in Canadian universities are a valuable contribution not only to the culture and diversity of Canada but to its economy as well. According to the High Commission of India, their students bring in more than five billion dollars per year into Canada's post-secondary institutions. This is a necessary contribution to Canadian universities, who depend on tuition fees, which increased two years in a row, a Statistics Canada report says.
At the same time, the IRCC has revealed that they faced a backlog of more than 195, 000 study permit applications and more than 35, 000 study permit extensions as of July 17th of this year. To tackle this processing issue, the immigration department went on a hiring spree and employed 1250 additional employees.
Read More: IRCC Addresses Backlog And Wait Times
However, many of the international students were desperate to know if they could study in Canada this year or not and this extension of distance learning is a bit of a temporary lifesaver.
Still, coming to Canada and learning in person is the ultimate goal, which cannot be achieved without a permit. This becomes an issue if students have already paid for their education and are still waiting for their visas. According to the High Commission of India in Ottawa, this is the case for some Indian students.
“Highlighting these (processing) issues and the fact that Indian students have already deposited tuition fees with the Canadian institutions we requested the Canadian authorities to expedite processing of visa applications for students from India.”
However, some institutions did provide students with some options to start the term even without their visas. A student can contact their university and ask about courses that have the remote option and discuss their options if there are none.
Read More: How To Get A Canadian Study Permit?
Canada's Immigration Backlog
Thousands of International Student Visas delayed
The first week of September marks the beginning of the fall term for universities and colleges across Canada, however, some students are left waiting to find out whether they can begin class. Despite being accepted into their programs and enrolling in courses, thousands of international students are still waiting for student visa approvals. Based on recent numbers from Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), it is estimated that over 160,000 students are awaiting study permit approval.
For many students, this delay has resulted in educational adjustments, such as enrolling in online classes or acceptance deferrals. Figures derived from the National Office of Statistics Canada, indicate that the reason for lengthy delays is the inflation of international students applying for study permits over the past six years. Including recent data, in the past 7 years, the population of international students within Canada has increased by approximately 43%. Nonetheless, IRCC has responded to the delays with aim of increasing the approval rate of study permits.
IRCC's unprecedented rates of approval
Based on recurring updates from IRCC, it is estimated that over 550,000 study permits have been finalized, which boasts an estimated 18% increase compared to the processing rate in 2021. As a response to elevated numbers of international student visa applicants, IRCC has initiated updates to the department's technology infrastructure. Moreover, the department has actioned the expansion plan for the Student Direct Stream (SDS), a system that integrates study permit approvals for seven additional countries.
The SDS is expected to accelerate study permit processing to a timeframe of 20 days, while students are expected to provide biometrics. The increase in interest can be explained by the diverse opportunities for international students in Canada such as the ability to immigrate or work post-graduation in addition to the diverse and inclusive environments., Sean Fraser, Canada's Minister of Immigration, has reported a booming interest in the International Student Program noting the increase in demand within the past few years and with no signs of the demand slowing down.
IRCC's Autumn Hiring Spree
In a statement on August 24th, Minister Fraser revealed the strategies that IRCC will be implemented with the aim of advancing application processing and approval, specifically study permits for international students. Among those strategies, the Minister stated in late fall that IRCC will be conducting a hiring spree to meet the high demand.
IRCC expects the hiring spree to accelerate the processing of applications significantly, however, pending departmental changes, they may require a few months for department integrations to take effect. Increasing the processing speed of applications will allow Canada's immigration system to uphold the prosperity of communities and strengthen industries by providing crucial talent for businesses and educational institutions.
Despite the challenges that IRCC has experienced regarding international student work permits, the new strategies present actionable solutions. The integration of hiring strategies and technological advancement show promise for progress in the coming months. The aim is that the figures of international students waiting on approval will stabilize and even be reduced following these changes.
IRCC Introduces Revised Anti-Racism Strategy
A Framework to address instances of Racism
In 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) actioned the initiative to assemble a task force that aims to implement an Anti-Racism Strategy.
The purpose for the Anti-Racism Strategy is to inspect instances of racism occurring within the department. IRCC's Deputy Minister, Caterina Tapley, explains that the Call to Action and "...mandate of the task force is to look at all racialized groups but with a particular emphasis on black employees and Indigenous peoples." Nevertheless, a new study finds that employees are still dubious concerning the steps taken to combat racism within the department.
Employee Focus Group Findings
According to the final report from IRCC's Anti-Racism Employee Focus Group , a sizable percentage of employees who identify as people of colour thought racism was a problem. A principal objective of the focus group study is to "...gain insight into the impacts and nature of racism witnessed or experienced within the department."
The report’s summary of findings stated that "...experiences of racism at IRCC include microaggressions, biases in hiring and promotion as well as biases in the delivery of IRCCs programs, policies and client service."
The study utilized groups of racialized employees (Black, BIPOC, East Asian, mixed origin, South Asian) and non-racialized employees derived from different roles within the IRCC including client services, policy and programme development, operations, and human resources. Within IRCC, a significant disparity was revealed within managerial groups regarding racial representation and a lengthy history of racism that must be addressed.
Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0
IRCC unveiled the Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0 due to the employee survey findings. During the first quarter of 2022, with aim of directing Strategy 2.0, IRCC personnel provided input regarding the strategy's management. IRCC's Anti-Racism Strategy primarily extends panoptic recommendations for the revised Strategy in comparison to its initial version. As detailed on IRCC's Anti-Racism overview in context, Strategy 2.0 aims to "...build a model for systems change that includes concrete, actionable steps and a monitoring framework." Furthermore, it is stated that such a participatory action will result in a long-lasting culture change and increase momentum for the department's anti-racism efforts.
As outlined in the official Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0, the new strategy uses an iterative process to dismantle systemic racism within the department, requiring a multi-faced approach. A distinctive feature of IRCC's revision of the Anti-Racism Strategy is found in the structuring of guiding principles. The driving principles in the IRCC’s Strategy 2.0 are as follows: Accountable, evidence-based, empowering, inclusive, intersectional, sustainable, and holistic. IRCC's Strategy 2.0 will be utilized to create effective change in the department’s environment.
General Recommendations from Strategy 2.0
To address the survey results, IRCC's Strategy 2.0 presents a collection of suggestions. For instance, at all levels, an emphasis must be placed on a comprehensive strategy. Combating racism must be participatory to address interlocking systems of discrimination within the environment. Additionally, calls to action are presented as relatable by promoting dialogue and fresh thinking.
Other suggestions are remaining persistent in garnering urgency for anti-racist promises, allocating funds to monitor development, and ensuring the problem is actionable. These overarching principles of inquiry are intended to be integrated within IRCC's strategy to ensure participatory and actionable results in dismantling systemic racism within the department’s environments.
Feds Urged To End Immigration Detention
Encouraged To Follow BC's Steps
Although Canada is known for being a refugee haven given its welcoming and multicultural policies, thousands of people are incarcerated on immigration-related grounds every year, including people fleeing persecution, seeking employment, or residing in the country for years. However, the facilities are usually filled with refugee claimants, victims of human trafficking, or survivors of torture. Between April 2019 and March 2020, around nine thousand people, including 138 infants and children, were in Canadian immigration detention.
Even though immigration detainees are detained for non-criminal purposes, they are subjected to some of the most restrictive conditions of confinement, including maximum security jails and solitary confinement.
Why are immigrants even being detained? There are a few reasons for that.
CBSA has the right to detain a person, both a foreign national and a permanent resident if they have grounds to believe that the person is a danger to the public and doesn't showcase their identity in a satisfactory way to the immigration officer (foreign nationals only). Detention can also happen if a CBSA officer at a port of entry has reasonable grounds to suspect an individual is inadmissible because of security concerns, human rights violations, or criminal activity.
So, how does that work?
In cooperation with provincial governments, CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) has the right to detain a person, following an arrest, at one of its Immigration Holding Centres. Until now, the holding centres could be found in Laval, Toronto and Surrey.
British Columbia Ended Immigration Detention
Canada is one of the few countries in the world that doesn't have a time limit for incarceration, meaning that a person can be detained for months, or even years. This can be a danger to their mental health and social skills, especially if they are being mistreated, which of course, the majority of people rightfully see as a violation of human rights. The rise in complaints regarding the detention centres and the #WelcomeToCanada campaign encouraged British Columbia to end immigration detention last month. They ended their arrangement with CBSA saying that it "doesn't align with its stance on human rights".
Connected to this is also Bill C-20, a bill the Canadian government brought to set light to transparency and accountability of Canada's law enforcement and border services institutions. By enacting a new standalone statute called the Public Complaints and Review Commission Act, Bill C-20 is supposed to help ensure public trust and respond to transparency gaps in law enforcement. It's also supposed to investigate public complaints, or even review a complaint made to CBSA.
While this bill is a step forward in the right direction, it's still failing to track children that were separated from their parents and the border. NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan is very vocal on this topic and is encouraging the federal government to simply follow British Columbia's example, and put an end to detention in general.
The #WelcomeToCanada campaign is slowly bringing more attention to this and is currently working on inspiring Quebec and Nova Scotia to end their collaboration with CBSA and end immigration detention as well, which - if successful - might push the federal government in the right direction.