York sociology Professor Luin Goldring and University of Toronto sociology Professor Patricia Landolt will present the findings of their recent study, The Impact of Precarious Legal Status on Immigrants’ Economic Outcomes, Thursday.
The study found that forms of precarious legal status, such as temporary foreign workers, refugee 
claimants and international students, have long lastinglabour market outcomes even for those who subsequently become permanent residents.
Luin Goldring
The workshop will take place Nov. 29, from noon to 2pm, in Room 548, Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor St. W. It is being held by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP), which published the study, and will be moderated by Leslie Seidle, research director, Diversity, Immigration & Integration, IRPP. Everyone is welcome to attend this free workshop. A light lunch will be available.
Monica Boyd of the University of Toronto and Debbie Douglas of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants will be the commentators. The presentation and commentaries will be followed by a discussion period.
Goldring, York director of CERIS, and Landolt assert that immigrants with precarious legal status often end up in precarious work situations that expose them to labour practices that “erode, violate or evade employment standards” with long-lasting effects. This is especially of concern in a context where “a growing number of newcomers spend time navigating various forms of temporary and probationary legal status before they can apply for permanent residence,” while others remain in a temporary category or stay in Canada without work or residence authorization.
Given recent major changes in Canada’s immigration system, such as large increases in the number of temporary foreign workers and new “two-step” and probationary pathways to permanent residence, the findings have important implications. Goldring and Landolt identify a number of ways to mitigate the effects of precarious status on immigrant economic outcomes.
As space is limited, confirm your attendance early by contacting Suzanne Lambert at slambert@irpp.org.