Rosette Correa
Temporary foreign worker Jose Osano, who suffered a stroke last December 11 in Calgary, Alberta, is facing deportation. Osano, a 46-year old father of three, worked as a mechanic for a Toyota dealership in Calgary, when he had a stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to work.
Osano, who comes from Iloilo, has been in Canada for seven years, but his work permit expired in March of 2015, and his medical services plan in Alberta has also expired. He is still confined in an undisclosed hospital in Calgary. He is fighting to be allowed to stay in Canada as a permanent resident for humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
His deportation is being processed since the expiry of his work permit, and according to the Foreign Temporary Workers Program (FTWP), FTWs who are currently employed and have expired work permits can no longer reapply to stay in the country. This is because of the “four and four” policy which was introduced on April 1, 2015, which limits migrant workers stay in Canada for four years, and barred them from working in Canada for another four years. They can reapply, however, after this four-year ban. This new immigration policy targets low-waged migrant workers in the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) and the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP).
GoFundMe has begun a crowd funding for Osano to pay for his legal fees as well as his medical and personal expenses, now that he is out of work and no longer receives government benefits.