Webinar: Immigration Policy on the Fly: What Have We Done, What Are We Learning, What Should We Do Next?

A collaboration between First Policy Response (external link)  and Ryerson’s CERC in Migration and Integration program through its Pandemic Borders (external link, opens in new window)  webinar series.

We are seeing rapid changes to Canadian immigration policy to address the COVID19 pandemic crisis. In March, Canada and the US agreed to close the border to contain the spread of COVID19 and travel restrictions were imposed on asylum seekers attempting to cross the Canada-US border at irregular border crossings. A few weeks later, Canada made changes to the temporary foreign workers program and has fast tracked some applicants to fill gaps in crucial sectors such as healthcare and agriculture. At the same, the Federal Skilled Workers program saw many immigrants who were on track to arrive in Canada in the coming months left in flux, having quit their jobs in their home country but not able to obtain work permits until travel to Canada becomes possible again.

What are innovative ways to address the immigration bottlenecks created by the temporary lockdown? What have we learnt from the COVID crisis that can help us create a more efficient and more equitable immigration policy? Can we anticipate how the Canadian labour market may change in the post-COVID era and what will be the long-term implications of these changes for immigration policy?

Panelists include 

• Professor Naomi Alboim, Distinguished Fellow, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University and Senior Policy Fellow, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, Ryerson University
• The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, Independent Senator for Ontario
• Professor Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, Ryerson University

Disscussion will be moderated by 

• Yasir Naqvi, Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Canadian Citizenship