Ontario Works eligibility rules updated for non-citizens with uncertain immigration status

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

The rules determining which non-citizens can receive Ontario Works assistance have been restructured and simplified. The previous multi-category approach—which separately addressed deportation orders, visitors, and tourists—has been replaced with a consolidated rule: people who are not authorized to remain in Canada, or who are only authorized to stay temporarily, are generally ineligible unless they have a pending refugee protection claim or permanent resident application. A person facing an enforceable removal order is also ineligible, with a narrow exception if they have applied for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The emergency assistance carve-out for people granted humanitarian emergency authorization to enter Canada is retained and clarified to apply specifically to those who are only temporarily authorized to remain. Administrators and caseworkers handling Ontario Works applications involving non-citizens should review these revised criteria to determine eligibility.

Who this affects: Ontario Works caseworkers and administrators · non-citizen applicants for social assistance · refugee claimants · temporary residents in Canada · people subject to removal orders