Canada to Close Permanent Resident Application Program for Foreign Caregivers in November 29, 2019

Canada to Close Permanent Resident Application Program for Foreign Caregivers in November 29, 2019
With Special Assistant Hursh Jaswal (In glasses and purple shirt) and Zubair Patel (looking down) Director of Operations and Outreach at the Office of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Taken during a meeting at the Minister’s Regional Office in Canada Place Edmonton.


A Foreign caregiver who has not obtained two years of employment by November 29, 2019 WILL NOT be eligible for permanent residence. Is this true? Yes according to a Notice posted by the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada website.

The Canadian government is currently reviewing Canada’s two programs for foreign caregivers particularly the Caring for Children Pathway and Caring for High Medical Needs Pathway and will decide based on the results from their review a pathway for permanent residence for caregivers.
Kababayans, particularly Pinoy Caregivers, were surprised by the announcement posted online this week which resulted in fear and apprehension of the Caregiver Program in Canada.

Sally Leyson with the author

It is believed that Canada’s program is the only one in the world that is unique as it provides access to permanent status for foreign caregivers after obtaining two years of authorized, paid and full-time work experience as caregivers. The access to permanent residency is an incentive to make up for the job’s relatively low pay and in some cases, unpleasant work conditions.

In response to my email inquiry, Special Assistant Hursh Jaswal of the Office of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada advised on Feb 9, 2018 and I quote:

“Our government is fully committed to family reunification.
We recognize the role caregivers have played is an important one in supporting our loved ones and helping grow Canada’s economy. We are thankful for all that caregivers have done and we understand the difficulty they have had to endure with the long processing times.

We have made a commitment to eliminate at least 80% of the backlog of Live-in Caregiver Program cases by the end of 2018 and continuing to keep processing times low for the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs. Our government will continue to ensure caregivers and their families are reunited in Canada faster.

Recently an update was posted on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website regarding the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilot projects which were introduced in 2014 and set to expire in 2019. This update was about the expiry of these pilot projects but not the end to a pathway to permanent residency for caregivers. These pilot projects are currently under review which is a standard process for all pilot projects.

Joan Daculiat

Let us be clear. There is and always will be a pathway to permanent residency for caregivers under our government. Our government will not be shutting down any pathways for permanent residency. We will use the results from the review to determine improvements to allow better access to a pathway for permanent residence for caregivers. “

Thanks,
Hursh Jaswal

Special Assistant, Office of the Minister
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Government of Canada

In an interview with Sally Leyson, a caregiver in Edmonton who becomes a Permanent Resident next week said “Nagpapasalamat ako sa Panginoon dahil next week mag land na ako..alam mo ba na pinapangarap namin makapunta ng Canada tapos bigla na lang binago. Siyempre gusto rin namin makasama ang pamilya namin. Malaki din naman ang naitutulong ng mga caregivers dito sa Canada.

Another Caregiver who will submit her application for permanent residence next week commented about the closure of the permanent resident application. “This news is so sad for us caregivers because eto na lang yong pag asa sana namin to build a life here in Canada. I’m lucky enough that hindi ko naabutan yong sa news. I’m hoping na sana ma change yong news and hopefully they will hear us caregivers.

In 2014, the Caregiver Program was overhauled by capping the number of caregivers who can access permanent residency at 5,500 a year and imposing new requirements for language and post-secondary education.

Under the new program, only 1,955 caregivers and their dependants received permanent residency in the three years after the changes were made. An average of 10,740 people-caregivers and their families were granted permanent status annually between 2006 and 2014 under the previous live-in caregiver program as per IRCC Statistics.

If you have questions regarding the above article you may contact Marjorie at info@mcncanadaimmigration.com

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

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