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Permanent residence for out-of-status construction workers in the

Greater Toronto Area: Who can apply
1. About the public policy 2. Who can apply 3. Get your documents ready

4. How to apply

Who can apply

You can apply for permanent residence under this public policy if you meet all of these requirements. You must

have entered Canada as a temporary resident but currently have no status

live in Canada and have been here for at least 5 years
have the right work experience
have family in Canada
be referred by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
be otherwise admissible to Canada

Note: You and your family members cannot apply for permanent residence under this public policy if

you or your family members have pending refugee claims or

you or your family members are failed asylum claimants

When you entered Canada

When you first came to Canada, you need to have entered legally as a temporary resident.

Living in Canada
You must be living in Canada now and have been living in Canada continuously for 5 years or more.

To prove that you’ve been living in Canada, you can use copies of a lease or rental agreement. If you don’t have a lease
or rental agreement, you may use a combination of other documents such as

a letter from a landlord or property owner (the letter should include dates that you lived at that location)
bills or bank statements with your name and address

Work experience
When you apply you must

be working in Canada and

have enough past work experience

You must have done the work outlined in the NOC job description of your occupation as well as most of the main duties.
Find the NOC code and title for your job.

Type of work experience – NOC 2021

Your current and past work experience must be in the construction industry in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in 1 of the
occupations listed below

Eligible NOC 2021 Major Group 72 occupations (technical trades and transportation officers and controllers)

Eligible NOC 2021 Major Group 73 occupations (general trades)

Eligible NOC 2021 Major Group 75 occupations (helpers and labourers and other transport drivers, operators and
labourers)

 National Occupational Classification 2021

On November 16, 2022, we switched to the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
If you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022, your qualifying work experience must use the
NOC 2016 requirements.
Type of work experience – NOC 2016
Your current and past work experience must be in the construction industry in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in 1
of the occupations listed under
Major Group 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades
Major Group 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades
NOC 7441 - residential and commercial installers and servicers
NOC 7521 - heavy equipment operators (except crane)
NOC 7611 - construction trades helpers and labourers

How much work experience

In the past 5 years, you need to have worked a minimum of 4,680 hours.

Your work experience can be from

1 full-time job
1 or more part-time jobs
a combination of full-time and part-time work

How to prove your work experience

To prove your past work experience, you can use

copies of previous work permits

copies of your T4 tax slips
copies of your notice of assessments
reference letters from your employers or coworkers
copies of work contracts
pay stubs

Check the document checklist IMM 0123 (PDF, 943 KB) to make sure you have all the documents you need to apply.

Family in Canada
When you apply, you must have family living in Canada. This can be either

extended family in Canada who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada

a spouse, common-law partner or child in Canada

To prove your relationship with your family in Canada, you can use copies of a

birth certificate
marriage certificate
family booklet

Referral from the CLC

The CLC is responsible for checking if you meet the requirements. To be eligible, you must be referred to us by the CLC. If
the CLC finds that you may be eligible, they print a referral letter and send it to us along with your application. Ask the
CLC for a copy of the referral letter to keep for your own records.

Be admissible to Canada
You and your dependants must not be inadmissible to Canada for reasons other than overstaying your temporary
resident status and working without a valid work permit.

An immigration officer will determine if you’re inadmissible. The CLC isn’t responsible for determining your admissibility.

Next: Get your documents ready 

Date modified:
2024-01-03