Aurevoir expat caregiver woes in Canada.Two new pilot programs, which are set to begin later this year, will allow caregivers who want to move to Canada to bring along their families, be eligible for permanent residence and change jobs with more ease. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen announced this Saturday 23rd of February that this year, 2750 caregivers will be allowed on the territory through each program. The minister has explained that caregivers who have already moved to Canada will be allowed to an interim program which will allow them to apply for permanent residence.
No date has been set yet for the launch of the “Home Child-Care Provider” and the “Home Support Worker” pilot programs. What was announced, however, by the Minister for Immigration, Ahmed Hussen were the details of the new programs. Indeed, the aim of these programs is, first and foremost, to allow foreign caregivers to bring their families along with them. Partners and dependent children will be given regular work permits and study permits respectively under both the “Home Child-Care Provider” and the “Home Support Worker”. This was not the case under the “Caring for Children” and the “Caring for people with High Medical Needs” programs which were put in place in 2014 and which will soon be obsolete.
Another significant change the two new programs will bring about is the ability for foreign caregivers to apply for permanent residence. Indeed, at the moment, caregivers holding work permits in Canada are not allowed to convert them into a permanent residence. Under the two new programs, candidates eligibility for permanent residence will be taken into consideration when the application for the initial caregivers' work permit is being processed. The caregiver will need to have a work permit and two years' work experience to be able to apply for permanent residence.
The new programs will also allow caregivers to change jobs more easily. Indeed, under the previous programs, caregivers were given regular work permits upon having found a job and were, therefore, sponsored by the employer and changing jobs proved hard for the caregiver. With the new programs, however, caregivers will be given an occupation-specific work permit making changing jobs a lot easier.
As for caregivers who are already on the Canadian territory, they will be allowed on an interim program which will run from March to June this year. This program will make them eligible for permanent residence.
