Baljeet Singh and his family made the big move from Punjab, India, to Brampton in 2023, hopeful for a better future in Canada. However, after two years of building their life here, Singh’s hopes have been dashed as his application for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) was rejected, leaving them facing the possibility of having to return to India.
“I live here with my wife and our three-year-old child. Our savings are running out,” Singh shared with OMNI News in Punjabi. “I don’t see a future here anymore. If things don’t change, we might have to go back.”
Joining the protests outside Queen’s Park, Singh and many others are demanding answers for the mass rejections that affected around 2,600 applicants across the province. The pause in the Ontario legislature has put a temporary halt to these demonstrations that have been ongoing since November 14.
The OINP was designed to attract individuals with the skills and experience needed to contribute to Canada’s labor market. However, recent reductions in nominee slots by the federal government have led to stricter criteria and pathways for permanent residency, impacting streams like the OINP Skilled Trades Stream.
While the OINP cited concerns over compliance and enforcement issues as reasons for the decrease in slots, skilled workers like Ramandeep Singh, a supervisor at an aerospace manufacturing facility, are left questioning their future in the country. They argue that their contributions to the economy should be recognized and their applications reassessed.
Amidst the turmoil, political figures like MPPs Hardeep Grewal and John Fraser have expressed concerns over the impact on deserving candidates and the need for swift action to address the situation. Meanwhile, affected applicants have met with Premier Doug Ford to voice their grievances and seek support.
As the debate continues between different levels of government regarding immigration policy and program integrity, thousands of skilled workers and their employers are left in uncertainty about their future. The shifting landscape of immigration policies has left them in limbo, unsure of what lies ahead.
Keyphrase: Ontario immigration program