Requirement To Show Citizenship Or Permanent Residency Held To Be Discriminatory

In a recent decision, the Ontario Court of Appeal unanimously held that human rights law prevents employers from requiring employees to hold Canadian citizenship or permanent residence rather than another kind of work permission.

Mr Haseeb was an international student who applied to Imperial Oil for an entry-level project engineer position. Imperial offered Mr Haseeb the position on condition that he provide proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency. Mr Haseeb was not a permanent resident, but was going to be eligible to work full-time anywhere in Canada for up to three years with a Post-Graduate Work Permit ('PGWP'). After Mr Haseeb revealed to Imperial that he was not a permanent