IWH award recipient to study work and health issues faced by Canada’s temporary residents on work, student visas

According to Statistics Canada, there are about 2.5 million people living in Canada on a non-permanent residency status, whether on a work or student visa. For these individuals, the lack of a secure pathway to permanent residency may mean they’re at greater risk of employer exploitation, unsafe working conditions or work disability.

And yet, very little research has been done on this group of newcomers. Now, with an award from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), Dr. Sonja Senthanar, assistant professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, is doing just that. She’s leading research to understand how constraints on citizenship may affect the work and health experiences of non-permanent residents. The research will focus particularly on how recent policy changes introduced by the federal government in the fall of 2024 may have exacerbated these outcomes.

This research program aims to understand what the consequences are, for the workers who are already here and who are trying to become citizens, of the lower immigration levels and stricter eligibility criteria set out by the Immigration Levels Plan, says Senthanar. She adds that her study will employ both quantitative and qualitative approaches, drawing on population-based data and on interviews with non-permanent residents across various streams.

There’s a potential that individuals who are trying to get permanent residency are making different kinds of decisions based on the new constraints, says Senthanar, adding that individuals who had arrived before the new policy changes took effect may still be indirectly impacted by the new rules. What are they willing to put up with in terms of the nature of their working conditions and the types of jobs that they're willing to take on? How will that affect their work injury risk and experiences of work disability?

To develop evidence to address this pressing issue, Senthanar will be supported by IWH’s Cameron Mustard Early Career Accelerator Award, which was established to support and accelerate the research program of an early career researcher in the area of work and health. This award is named after Dr. Cameron Mustard, former IWH president and senior scientist. During his presidency from 2002 to 2022, one of Mustard’s core commitments was the importance of mentoring future generations of work and health researchers. This award pays tribute to the role he has played in strengthening the work and health research ecosystem.

I am deeply grateful for the award and support from IWH to jumpstart this important work, says Senthanar. I anticipate this recognition will open other opportunities and collaborations, allowing me to continue to examine work and health inequities for immigrant workers in Canada, where they may exist.