Vimal Sivakumar - 19 April, 2023
Beginning on April 19, 2023, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents 155,000 federal government employees, will be going on strike.
In a move that will impact many government departments, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the PSAC strike will impact some (but not all) of the services offered by IRCC.
What services are being partially or fully disrupted by the PSAC strike?
IRCC says that the following service areas will face disruptions and delays:
Additionally, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has noted that they expect disruptions related to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) as well as the processes involved with biometrics collection.
What IRCC services will remain available during the PSAC strike?
Meanwhile, Canadian immigration applicants will remain able to do the following during the strike:
The following three non-governmental services will be unaffected by the strike: settlement services delivered by IRCC partners, healthcare availed through the Interim Federal Health Program and services delivered by visa application centres outside of Canada
Why is PSAC going on strike?
According to PSAC, the union is striking for "fair wages, a better work-life balance, more inclusivity and reduced layoffs through the creation of more jobs." To that final point, PSAC would like there to be less contracting of government positions to private organizations.
Click here to read more about the PSAC strike and talks that occurred leading up to today's strike.
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