The Canadian job landscape is slowly changing and it does not look good for many of Canada's temporary foreign workers who are at the end of their four year tenure in Canada.
April 1, 2015 proved to be more than just an "All Fool's Day" for many of the approximately 70,000 workers who have come to the end of the four years maximum stay.
It is no laughing matter for a temporary foreign worker (TFW) named Emmanuel who came to Canada in late 2010 with dreams of making Canada his home.
With plans to bring his family to Canada, he worked hard, sending money home for his family, while trying to save enough to start life in Canada with his wife and two children.
Soon after coming to Canada, he learned about the four years maximum rule.
He was sure it would not affect him, but with the loss of his job, the elusive permanent resident status seems real only in his dreams.
He has tried everything to find employment, but could not renew his work permit nor find an employer willing to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to take him on.
The government is not offering any bargaining chip to these foreign workers, "Let there be no mistake: We will not tolerate people going 'underground.
' Flouting our immigration laws is not an option, and we will deal with offenders swiftly and fairly," Immigration Minister Chris Alexander and Employment Minister Pierre Poilievre said in a statement.
Emmanuel does not want to go home, but he does not want to go underground.
"I have to support my family, so I need to work" he said, pounding his right fist into the palm of his left hand.
"This is so wrong, I did everything right mam" he continued.
Some temporary foreign workers contemplate using the Express Entry, but cannot find employers willing to give them a job offer.
They sometimes have very little education and very low Language scores and would likely not have enough points to get an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
Alberta is one of the many Provinces who while experiencing great economic success, hired many foreign workers to fill the labour shortage they were experiencing.
Some TFWs there have now been handed a "double whammy".
Companies were forced to lay off workers during the first quarter of 2015 due to the slump in oil prices.
These are many of the same workers who cannot apply for permanent residence and cannot find employment.
For some workers who were already nominated, some Provinces continue to honor the nomination.
Meanwhile, others have given a onetime exemption and a support letter to their nominees.
The ministers are confident that both the employers and the TFWs knew that this day was coming and had enough time to make necessary adjustments and they urged the TFWs to apply for permanent resident status.
Bruce, a Canadian citizen moved to Alberta from Ontario seven years ago and purchased investment properties.
"Many homeowners are feeling the pinch of these TFWs leaving, homes were bought to accommodate them, they pay rents and the home owners could pay their mortgage", he said.
"It is very possible that we could see homeowner walking away from homes they bought, not able to pay their mortgage", he continued.
So, with more than approximately 70,000 workers likely to leave the Canadian labour landscape, what will this mean for Canadians? Does this mean Canadians are now ready to take the same jobs we were told they refused years ago that forced employers to hire TFWs.
Will businesses be forced to close their doors or home owners forced to sell and get out while the going is good? Canadians are resourceful but are we resilient enough to shore up the shaky grounds of Canada as we watch the TFWs leave the place they so desperately hoped to call home...
only time will tell.