Following the US Supreme Court's latest ruling effectively terminating Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitian immigrants, many individuals — especially in Florida, which has the nation's largest Haitian population — are urgently looking for alternatives.
And for some, Canada is a potentially promising destination.
Haitians are urgently searching for any possible entry, from employer-sponsored permits to Express Entry programs for skilled, bilingual workers, said Cassandra Fultz, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant and founder of Doherty Fultz Immigration.
Fultz told WLRN she's "experiencing a 20-30% increase" in inquiries and applications from Haitian nationals since the end of last year.
"We were hoping that the Supreme Court might make a different decision and that this is not how things would end up," Fultz said. "But since the Supreme Court decision, the interest has increased even more. Many people are starting the process, initiating the steps, getting their documents together so that they can make a trip."
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that the Trump administration can terminate TPS for about 350,000 Haitian nationals.
There are nearly 100,000 people of Haitian descent living in Canada, with the majority, nearly 90%, living in the province of Quebec, and concentrated in its city of Montréal, according to the 2021 Canadian Census.
Haitians make up the largest group of irregular migrants entering Canada, according to the latest data from the Canadian government.
Haitians who do apply for asylum are more than likely to be rejected than approved. The Immigration and Refugee Board reported that about 34% of Haitian asylum applicants were approved between 2017 and the first half of 2022.
Fultz told WLRN that U.S. work experience, along with English and French proficiency, could provide qualified applicants with a major advantage in the Canadian job market.
READ MORE: Is it a human rights violation to deport Haitian TPS holders to a cauldron of gang violence?
While a valid passport is mandatory, the specific documentation needed varies depending on whether one pursues a work permit or permanent residency.
"It's okay if you renew your passport to make the application and it's got the whole 10 years on it. Either way is fine, but you're definitely going to need a passport," Fultz said.
"Different applications have different documentary requirements. Permanent residence applications have totally different considerations from, say, like a work permit application or even a visitor visa just to get on the plane."
Permanent residency, for example, require full background checks, from education credentials and biometrics to detailed employment records.
Ultimately, the transition is facilitated by the cultural similarities between the two North American employment sectors, making employer-supported immigration a feasible path for those losing their status, she said.
"Where your U.S. work experience actually really gives you a leg up is in the employment market in Canada because Canadian work experience is, of course, the gold standard in Canada," she said.
"We're all on sort of the same wavelength in terms of employment culture, expectations, cultural employment norms."
Bilingual Haitian candidates proficient in both English and French could be particularly sought after by employers across all Canadian provinces, Fultz added.
"Not only is an employer gonna be very interested in this, there could even be a bidding war," she said.
Bilingual candidates in Canada are "the gold standard," she said.
