Algoma Steel plans to lay off about 1,000 workers in Ontario this March. This worries immigrant workers like Mayurkumar Lad. Lad moved from India to Canada in 2022 with his wife and daughter. He has worked as an engineer at Algoma Steel since 2024. He applied for permanent residency through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) nearly 18 months ago. "The consequences fall entirely on workers like me who followed every rule," Lad told CBC News. Lad says his job allows his family to stay in Canada. "I’m at risk of losing not just my job, but my entire permanent residency application. If I’m laid off, I may become ineligible, despite doing everything correctly." The OINP lets skilled workers speed up permanent residency but only if they stay employed by the sponsoring company. Lad expects no decision on his application until early 2027, well after the layoffs. He and other immigrant workers want the Canadian government to make a special exemption to keep their applications active. "I want the government to look at this situation as a special case and make some exemptions," Lad said. "We need answers, especially from the provincial government." Lad said layoffs are due to tariffs causing operational problems, not poor performance or company shutdown. An OINP spokesperson said that employment changes, including layoffs, might affect applications. However, workers could still qualify through other provincial or federal immigration programs. Lad has no guarantees yet. Ontario recently canceled the skilled trades stream of the OINP and may reduce nine entry categories to four. The federal government also cut provincial nominee applications by half. "If Algoma Steel and OINP come to some decision that allows us to find a new employer, I might continue my permanent residency journey," Lad said. "Otherwise, I am starting from scratch." Lad said his family has grown attached to Sault Ste. Marie. "My daughter’s in Grade 4, and she’s already adapted to the culture. I love the people here. This is a big disruption."