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Henry Burris struggles to get Canadian citizenship—because the CFL's part-time?

Andrew Bucholtz
Henry Burris struggles to get Canadian citizenship—because the CFL's part-time?

The CFL has been involved in plenty of weird stories over the years, but this weekend brought up a new one; the revelation that the federal government considers the league "part-time" and doesn't seem enthusiastic about letting its players earn citizenship. Ottawa Redblacks' quarterback Henry Burris has been in the league since 1997 (albeit with brief stints in the NFL and NFL Europe from 2001-03) and has lived in Canada during the offseason for over a decade, but he revealed this week that his attempts to secure permanent residency and move towards citizenship have hit a roadblock. Burris told the CBC the government's classification of the CFL as a part-time employer is a key component of the problem:

The CFL only plays six months a year — June to November — so Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) only grants Burris a temporary work permit for each contract he signs.

He still needs to obtain permanent residency status before he has any chance at Canadian citizenship.

"The CFL, being a player, it isn't deemed as a full-time job," Burris said.

"But if you look at the hours I'm putting in. I'm in at 6:30 and there until five in the afternoon during the key parts of the season."...

Burris said he's exhausted after three years and more than $7,000 spent on an immigration lawyer.

He does not want to jump a queue or receive preferential treatment, but said he worries about what his family will do as he nears the end of his career. Burris has two years left on his current contract with the Redblacks.

"I come as a father, as a husband, and as a person who wants to be a citizen and a resident of the great country of Canada, and here in Ontario," Burris said.

Burris pointed to his work outside of football as reasons he should be a citizen. He has an ownership stake in The Rock, Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits in Calgary. He also runs The Burris Foundation, which raises money for children's charities in the Calgary area.

"We're investing in the economy, investing into this country because it's done so many great things for us. It's just been great to give back. It would all be a shame to see it come to an end," he said.

It does seem remarkable that Citizenship and Immigration Canada is throwing so many roadblocks in the way of somebody who's been so committed to Canada and is already investing in the Canadian economy, but immigration bureaucracies are notorious for that. As Michael Woods writes in The Ottawa Citizen, though, Burris doesn't stand alone. His quest has already gained support from CFL fans and from Ottawa's ownership group:

“If you don’t personify all the good things that we pride as Canadians, not sure who does,” wrote Ed Goffin on Twitter.

“He’s the kind of new Canadian we should welcome,” wrote Carl A. Christie.

A reported stumbling block is that Burris’s job as a CFL football player doesn’t qualify as full-time employment. The CFL season lasts from June to November each year.

“Anyone in Ottawa who’s seen how active Redblacks QB Henry Burris was this brutal off-season will tell you that it was a full-time job,” wrote Twitter user Chris Harrison.

The Redblacks owners, the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, also expressed support for the quarterback.

In a statement Saturday night, OSEG president of sports Jeff Hunt said the group supports Burris in his bid to become a Canadian citizen.

“Henry has lived in this country for over a decade and has made many contributions to all the communities where he has played during that time,” Hunt said. “At the same time, we understand that Henry must follow the established protocols required to become a citizen of this country. We will support Henry in his effort and sincerely hope that he achieves that.”

It's promising that this backlash seems to have achieved results in this specific situation; Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued a statement Sunday saying " “We will work with the Ottawa Redblacks and Mr. Burris to ensure he can remain in Canada.” However, it's questionable why the rules make life difficult for American CFL players to begin with. These players are moving a long way from their homes to play in Canada, and that's not always an easy transition, but many of them have huge impacts in their communities on and off the field. Canada also grows on many players, causing them to elect to stay north of the border following their careers. That should be a desirable outcome for Canadians, especially considering how many continue to do important community work after they hang up their cleats. 

What's particularly weird here is the classification of the CFL as "part-time work." Yes, the actual season only runs from June to November each year, but the in-season work for these guys is substantial, and the off-season work to maintain the strength and conditioning they need can't be ignored either. The CFL has also boosted the numbers of permissable team-organized offseason events in recent years, and even when those aren't going on, players are training with each other or in small player-organized gatherings. Many of them are also staying in the cities where they play and doing charity work in the offseason. Perhaps there's a reason for this, and maybe it makes it easier for CFL teams to bring in American players. At first glance, though, it sure seems like an insult to CFL players, as Argonauts' safety Matt Black noted on Twitter:

It's good that Burris' struggle is getting attention, and that Citizenship and Immigration Canada seems to have taken notice. The larger issue here needs to be addressed, though. Encouraging American CFL players to stay in their Canadian communities year-round, put down roots and eventually become Canadian citizens is something that's only going to be good for the CFL, and it's something that also could provide substantial benefits for Canada. These guys aren't draining resources; in fact, many of them like Burris are all too happy to reinvest in the places they live, whether that's through businesses, charity or both. Solving Burris' case is a start, but this issue should be addressed more widely. CFL players shouldn't have to spend years and thousands of dollars in an attempt to gain citizenship. If they're looking to stick around and contribute to Canada after their playing career, why shouldn't Canadians welcome them with open arms?