Joey’s chef in legal limbo thanks to federal immigration backlogs
When fire destroyed the Joey’s Pizza and Pasta building on York Street in Sackville on April 7, about a dozen people lost their jobs. And for Andres Mendieta, the Joey’s chef and kitchen manager for the past 4 years, the job he lost is irreplaceable, at least until the Canadian government says it’s not.
Originally from Ecuador, Mendieta has been working in Canada on what’s known as a “closed visa”, meaning he’s legally allowed to work for just the company who made the arrangements for him to come. “I’m only allowed to work for one person,” explains Mendieta, and that’s Joey’s Pizza. “And until [April 7th], it was okay.”
Mendieta is now in a sort of legal limbo, caught waiting on approval of his permanent residency application, or another temporary work visa that could free him up to work elsewhere.
Mendieta is also unsure if he will qualify for EI, because although he’s been paying into it, he can’t legally look for another job, typically a requirement of filing an EI claim.
In order for Mendieta to get his first Canadian work visa back in May 2019, Joey’s owner Leeya Hicks had to first send in a Labour Market Impact Assessment to show that there was a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. Mendieta says since then he’s developed a deep trust with Hicks, and has done well at Joey’s, starting as a cook and eventually being promoted to kitchen manager.… Continue