Three Filipino construction workers in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, say they are “overwhelmed with gratitude” after receiving new work permits from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — just weeks after being told they would have to stop working and possibly leave the country due to paperwork errors made by their employer.
“This morning’s the only time that I was not annoyed with my alarm clock because I was so excited to go back to work,” said Raddy Adams Manicadao, who has been employed with Brycon Construction since 2022 alongside his colleagues Jafferson Palabasan and Rene Logrinio.
The three men were abruptly ordered off the job in August after their work permit extension applications were rejected. Their employer, Brycon Construction, had inadvertently failed to pay a $230 employer fee for two of the applications and neglected to submit a labour market impact assessment for the third.
As a result, their legal status to work in Canada was suspended. They were told they could either reapply from scratch — a process that would take up to six months — or leave Canada within 90 days. During this waiting period, they were barred from working, and their provincial health cards were invalidated.
Their employer, Dave Hiscock, spent weeks appealing to politicians and immigration officials, with little progress. But after CBC News aired their story last week, support began pouring in from across the country. “I’m glad we made a little extra noise because I don’t think with past experience that it would’ve expedited the process,” Hiscock said. “I think the right person read it and thought it was wrong.”
On Sunday morning, Hiscock received the email he had been hoping for: three new work permits, approved and ready. He immediately called his employees to share the news. “They were very surprised. They thought I was joking at first. I could just imagine the smiles on their faces. They were very, very happy,” he said.
Palabasan was elated. “I jumped,” he said. “I’m so thankful to the Department of Immigration.” Logrinio, who sends money back to the Philippines to support his wife and three daughters, said the limbo period was difficult, but he never gave up hope. “I’m excited to give my best and continue providing for my family back home,” he said.
On Monday morning, the three men reported back to work as Brycon Construction ramped up activity on the Highway 103 twinning project between Hubbards and Chester. Hiscock said he’s relieved to have his team back and praised their work ethic and dedication.
All three men have also applied for permanent residency and hope to one day bring their families to Halifax to build their lives in Canada.