Canada Visa, Immigration Services to be Hit as 155,000 Workers Go on Strike. All You Need to Know

Around 155,000 federal workers, including 35,000 from Canada’s tax agency, went on strike on Wednesday in what their union is calling one of the largest strikes in the country’s history.

The strike will impact most of the government departments, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada said the strike was called after talks with the government failed to produce an agreement. The workers have been demanding fair wages, better work-life balance, creation of more jobs and more workplace inclusivity.

Picket lines will be set up at more than 250 locations. The strike involving the Canada Revenue Agency comes as tax returns are due.

Chris Aylward, the union’s national president, said the bargaining teams would remain at the table throughout the strike.

“The Government has done everything it can to reach a deal and avoid disrupting the services that Canadians rely on. Despite some ongoing movement at the bargaining table on key issues by both sides, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has decided to proceed with a nation-wide general strike,” the federal government’s Treasury Board said in a statement.

Strike To Affect Canada Visa Processing?

The strike is likely to cause disruptions and delays in processing visa applications, appointments or events including citizenship ceremonies and consular citizenship, a report in Livemint said.

The strike will also affect passport services including passport renewals in Canada. It could also result in longer wait times at Canadian ports of entry, including airports and land crossings.

Moreover, most government services are now fully or partially disrupted, including most immigration services provided by IRCC, ESDC, and Passport Canada.

Solution to Problem?

Though several services will remain disrupted, but services including applying online, online accounts and accessing some emergency services will remain operational.

According to CIC News, settlement services from IRCC partner organizations, health care through the Interim Federal Health Program, and visa application centres outside of Canada, offered by non-governmental organizations, will also remain available.

Amid the ongoing strike Canadians have been told to expect delays in the processing of income tax returns, immigration and asylum requests, passport applications and foreign worker permits.

Meanwhile, consular services and new requests for veterans’ benefits would also be affected. In order to escape any hassle due to the strike, employers and foreign nationals are expected to submit necessary immigration applications early to prepare for potential delays.

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