At the Parliament's Standing Committee for Immigration on June 17, 2020, NDP MP Jenny Kwan asked the Immigration Minister to confirm that Temporary Foreign Worker who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria for CERB but have an expired SIN or expired work permits will not be criminalized for receiving the emergency assistance:
"Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for taking the time to be here in person with us.
On May 8, Minister, you were before the HUMA committee where you said:
My understanding after engaging with CRA and ESDC is that if the individuals in question meet the criteria for eligibility under CERB, they can apply using their SIN, which does not expire for tax purposes, regardless of the status of their work permit. Depending on their situation, they might or might not be able to apply online, but they will be able to do so through the call centre.
On this basis, can the minister confirm that for those who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria for CERB—and I'm referring to TFWs in this instance—even with an expired work permit they would not be criminalized for using CERB?"
https://openparliament.ca/committees/immigration/43-1/6/jenny-kwan-1/