“I feel like I’m just nowhere”: Causes and Challenges of Status Loss in Canada

Abstract

In this qualitative study, researchers conducted interviews with 11 participants who had entered Canada through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and who had since loss status. Findings show policy changes, abuse and exploitation by employers, language barriers, and misinformation and language gaps drive workers out of status. Once without status, people often remain in Canada because they are motivated by issues related to family. These can include the continued desire to bring family members to Canada, financial responsibilities for family members in countries of origin, the desire to stay with Canadian partners or children, or the breakdown of family ties which dissuades the desire to return. Challenges of living without status include mental health struggles, financial strain, and barriers to service access. Interplays between factors driving status loss and experiences of those who live without status in Canada show that the state plays an important role in creating precarity through restrictive immigration and residency policies. Understandings the state’s role in the production of precarity may inform effective policy changes moving forward.

Authors: Mia Tulli,Bukola Salami,Jessica Juen,Jason Foster,Helen Vallianatos,Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika Publication Date: 2/6/2022

Publication Type: Journal Article

URL:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-022-00940-7

Notes

Community organizations

Location

Alberta

Key recommendations

Need for systemic changes to immigration policy to address the transition from TFW status to living without status in Canada
Need to address the issue of human trafficking for the purposes of labour in Canada
Creating better avenues for recourse against employer exploitation and abuse and remove the demand that TFW worker permits be tied to one employer
Humanitarian and compassionate grounds should also be expanded to allow more people to stay in Canada with Canadian children
Service provider organizations should provide supports for those without status as well as those with worker permits

Key findings

Once out of status, many migrants face a range of challenges in destination countries around the world. These include labour exploitation, a lack of rights, and marginalization and exclusion.

This study found several factors contribute to irregular migration in Canada:

policy changes, especially the 4-year limitation on TFW’s work in Canada, have driven many out of status
employer abuse or exploitation leads to the loss of status
language barriers prevent many from accessing permanent residency or effectively communicating with supports
financial strain prevents those who lost their status to provide substantial evidence of financial independence when applying for permanent residency
- financial strain leads to poor mental health and well-being
barriers to service access, including healthcare, education, and other services
workers who lost their status after the 2014 reform, remained in Canada without a status while pursuing permanent residency;
- the pursuit of permanent residency is often motivated by the desire to reunite with families
- diaspora communities across the world often help migrants without status navigate these challenges by supporting their access of resources, rights, and information

Key populations

TFWs

Gaps identified

Government policy change often drives migrant workers out of status

Integration timeline

At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?

3-9 years

Open-access – No

Research Library

“I feel like I’m just nowhere”: Causes and Challenges of Status Loss in Canada

Abstract