This week, the Government of Canada announced a new measure to waive the condition that required temporary foreign residents to submit proof of a valid work permit or renewal of an expiring permit by email to be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
The directive was sent to Employment and Social Development Canada officials tasked with reviewing and approving CERB applications. As of the announcement, proof of valid work permit is no longer necessary. According to the National Post, verbal confirmation from claimants is now sufficient.
This new measure simplifies and accelerates the application process for the benefits, in particular to accommodate immigrants, foreign workers and international students who have been deeply affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to qualify for the CERB, temporary foreign workers and international students are required to meet the same criteria as Canadians. Temporary residents must also be residing in Canada and have a valid Social Insurance Number.
The CERB has been one of the federal government’s responses to COVID-19, in order to provide income support to those heavily impacted by the current pandemic. Those who are eligible to receive the benefit may receive up to $500 per week for 16 weeks.
Maya Dura, a spokeswoman for the office of Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, told the National Post that those who are claiming the CERB “may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify their eligibility at a future date.”
