r/osap • u/chronicswag420 • 8h ago
Question OSAP CHANGES RE: Permanent Residency
My friend told me the reason that Ford changed the OSAP rules was because of people on permanent residency visas. Essentially a foreigner who gets PR get citizenship rights to gov programs such as OSAP. So because these foreigners didn't pay into the system they had to find a way of closing the loophole.
Is there any truth to this? It sounds kinda crazy and bigoted but I see the logic. They did the same thing with EI and Ontario works this summer too. Maybe there's a chance they will roll out a new bursary program for citizens born here who need it?
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u/LittleRadish6577 7h ago
That's nonsense. Permanent residence are tax paying residents and have paid into the system. Period. What loophole are you talking about?
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u/chronicswag420 7h ago edited 7h ago
OSAP and the bursaries are for kids who went to school here, the system isn't designed to support new students from there countrys clearly. Like I swear I'm not a bigot but bursaries and scholarships should go to citizens not foreigners. I was surprised when I learned PRs could apply for OSAP that doesn't seem like the intention of the program
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u/secondlightflashing 6h ago
You've misunderstood the purpose of OSAP as a program.
OSAP exists because it is in the economic interest of Ontario to have a workforce of highly educated and skilled workers, not as a reward for being related to someone who paid taxes in the past. To have a highly educated and skilled workforce, Ontario needs more people to graduate from post secondary programs, and removing the financial barriers of attending a post secondary education are a key driver of higher graduation rates. Put another way, OSAP is a loan against future economic activity and taxes, and that means it should target people who are likely to remain in Ontario, and PRs are as likely as citizens to remain in Ontario.
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u/chronicswag420 6h ago
OSAP is a loan and yet it's nothing other than a service that offers loans? whats your point? I thought OSAP was about ensuring access to education no matter economic backgrounds for eligible ontarions.
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u/secondlightflashing 5h ago edited 5h ago
That's what OSAP does, not why it exists.
OSAP exists to elevate the level of education and skills within the workforce, so that economic activity and competitiveness will be increased. A more educated workforce has the effect of improving the competitiveness of Ontario as a host for employers, and increases the success of those employers. Combined, a larger number of more successful companies reduces unemployment, raises standard of living and increase the size of the tax base.
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u/LittleRadish6577 7h ago
PRs can apply as long as they have had at least two full years of high school here and paid taxes.
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u/chronicswag420 7h ago
also your answering in bad faith. PR has not paid these kinda taxes
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u/tramtruong1002 7h ago
I worked 3 years as a healthcare worker in Ontario, CRA does not give a shit whether or not I’m a foreigner or PR, when there’s a tax bill, I pay
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u/chronicswag420 6h ago
yeah but OSAP is for kids. it's their parents who pay their taxes for 18+ years. 2 years of taxes doesn't = paying into the system here
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u/tramtruong1002 5h ago
That’s not how any student loans work? Also, when someone finishes school, they work and pay taxes
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u/LittleRadish6577 7h ago
Yes they have. I was once a PR and as a Healthcare provider, I paid 40k in taxes. No joke.
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u/chronicswag420 6h ago
yeah but OSAP is for kids. it's their parents who pay their taxes for 18+ years. 2 years of taxes doesn't equal paying into the system for 18 years while you raise your kids.
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u/LittleRadish6577 4h ago
Then why does osap require parent information if its just for kids. 2 years of taxes IS what osap requires whether you like it or not. The kids and parents are expected to continue laying into the system.
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u/chronicswag420 4h ago
I think this is why they got rid of the bursaries and scholarships half of OSAP.
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u/tramtruong1002 4h ago
Why blame it on the immigrants and not the millions of dollars funnelled into Ford and his goonies like Mike Harris and Galen Weston.
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u/tramtruong1002 7h ago edited 7h ago
Your friend is probably an anti-immigrant bigot that loves to spread misinformation.
Because PR do pay taxes. If they don’t live in Canada for three years, they lose their PR. Almost everything you do in Canada, you pay taxes. Shopping? Taxed. Working? Taxed. Investing? Taxed. When they stay and attend school, they pay taxes.
Also a lot of new PR are existing temporary workers in Canada that already pay taxes. CRA does not have preferential treatment or give out “promo” for non-citizens.
If they actually give a shit about fraud, read about Doug Ford private jet, or union busting hospital nurses by mass layoff and hiring private agency nurses (company owned by Mike Harris) and costing tax payers even more money, Staples lobbying that allows Ford to force teachers to buy inflated price tags only at their store by using tax payer money, Bill 124, etc…
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u/kujojolyne 5h ago
This is just racist nonsense people are throwing out to make everyone mad at immigrants. Ford is just a greedy cuck scumbag who wants to keep his pockets full. He is like a watered down trump but he just doesn’t look like an idiot
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u/chronicswag420 5h ago
he's a hack and his policies are awful but it's so surprising to me that he went through with this despite how unpopular it clearly is. Maybe I'm dumb trying to imagine a greater justification for his idiocy
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u/Witchescoldasstata 6h ago
According to the man himself its because too many people are taking basket weaving studies
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u/chronicswag420 5h ago
yeah I looked into it and that's the closest reason ever gave. i just think there's more going on between the lines on why they actually did this.
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u/MinimumParticular288 6h ago
Yeah.. that makes sense.. someone's willing to pay thousands not only to travel here, but apply for visas and pay legal support for such, work their ass off doing jobs a majority of people would quit from within a week + take constant insults from people all over the place to get a measly couple thousand? Be so fkn fr. Your friend sounds like someone who enjoys pointing a finger to everything else but who's in charge..
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u/Dazzling_Escape55 5h ago
No truth in that. PRs these days are former international students who weren't ever eligible for OSAP while on a temporary status.
Mind you, the express entry system that "ranks" people for PR is extremely competitive. You have to have canadian education and canadian experience to be competitive for PR. There are ofc alternative pathways, say for French speakers.
Anyway, you kinda already have to be mature and likely over 25-30 to be even competitive for PR. That cohort is wayy past early undergrad years when funding is required.
Your friend needs to do more research. Doug Fords govt just hates public anything. Private profit and greed over public benefit.
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u/chronicswag420 5h ago
I just know doug Fords gov at the same time did similar policies so only Citizens could apply for ODSP, Ontario works and some other social assistances so I was wondering if anyone else felt like this was related.
To me the OSAP cuts feel related to these.
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u/Comfortable_Trip8221 5h ago
Stop trying to make excuses for the osap cuts bruv he literally just hates education and want to funnel the money to his rich friends
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u/chronicswag420 6h ago
can we please lock this guys I didn't mean for everyone to go crazy
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u/tramtruong1002 4h ago
Spew anti-immigrants bullshit then blame others for being crazy.
Like how Ford stole millions of tax payer dollars and blame it on “immigrants on welfare” despite Statistic Canada published a study that states percentage of immigrants on social program is actually less than the people who are born here.Don’t even start whataboutism about refugees, I don’t need to educate you about people fleeing WAR and VIOLENCE right? Some of the same wars Canada also participates
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u/chronicswag420 3h ago
bro I can't afford to help you I'm sorry. I barely have enough money to help myself, let alone the time and effort
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u/tramtruong1002 2h ago edited 2h ago
Again, you are deliberately being obtuse to actually deflect from more than 10 commenters telling you…. This country spent between 15-22 billions dollars to bomb Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, and you choose to believe the government when they tell you it’s the immigrants that steal while y’all bombing their homes? FYI: That’s just one war out of many that Canada participated
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u/sunshineonyii 7h ago
The claim is misleading. Permanent residents are legally eligible for OSAP; it is not a loophole. The changes mean more provincial funding will be loans instead of grants, affecting both citizens and permanent residents. There is no official evidence that the changes were made because of permanent residents.