Manitoba temporary foreign workers rally for visa extensions

Around 100 temporary foreign workers, most of them from China, gathered on the steps of the Manitoba Legislative Building to highlight the imminent expiry of their work permits. The demonstrators, who say they have put down roots and paid taxes, carried signs calling for the continuation of the province’s Temporary Public Policy (TPP) that facilitates open work permits and a pathway to permanent residency.

Ruby Lu, a participant whose permit ends later this year, told the crowd, “We come here for a few years and we work for a few years, pay taxes. Some of us have already bought a house. So if our permit expires, we don’t know what to do.” Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino said the provincial government is lobbying the federal government to extend the TPP and increase capacity so skilled workers can remain in Manitoba.

The protest underscores concerns among temporary foreign workers about immigration policy cuts at the federal level and seeks provincial support to keep the workforce that contributes to Manitoba’s economy.