The two Caregiver pilot programs for immigration to Canada, the Home Child Care Provider (HCCP) and the Home Support Worker (HSW) pilots are set to expire in only three months – with many applicants for permanent residency still in the backlog.

“Many of us are still struggling to apply for permanent resident because of English test and education credential requirements that are excluding many,” claims the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC) on its website.

“On top of that, many are still in the backlog waiting for years to be reunited with their families.”

The migrants’ organization maintains the requirements for the Caregiver programs are unfair and that they do not allow enough foreign nationals to apply and gain their permanent residency.

“Not all of us can pass the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 5 English exam or have completed one year of post-secondary education,” claims the MWAC.

Read More

Manitoba Issues 104 Canada Immigration Invitations In New PNP Draw
Nova Scotia’s International Student Visa Allowance Reduced By A Third
New Canada Program Aims To Improve Lives Of Nurses

This weekend, the organization is planning to hold rallies under the banner of Migrant Spring in support of migrant rights in Charlottetown, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Fredericton, St. John’s, Vancouver, and Victoria. 

On its website, the MWAC claims the rich are scapegoating migrants and using racism to blame them for the housing affordability crisis. 

With the pending end of the Caregiver programs, MWAC organizer Jhoey Dulaca has reportedly warned that those who fail to get their permanent residency could wind up getting deported.

Watch Video

“We don’t know if the government is going to extend or replace the program so right now the care workers are feeling the crisis,” Dulaca reportedly said. 

“They don’t know what’s going to happen to them … most of the care workers are losing status because it’s also hard to maintain work permits.”

Earlier this year, Ottawa agreed to slash the amount of experience foreign nationals need to apply for permanent residence under its Caregiver programs in half, reducing that work experience requirement to only one year instead of two years.

“Caregivers are an important option for families in Canada and have played an instrumental role in the lives of many growing children, aging parents, and those who need additional specialized care,” said then-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“By reducing the work experience required in Canada to one year, more caregivers and their families will become eligible to transition to permanent residence sooner, meaning that they can settle down and start the next chapter of their lives here in Canada.”

Caregiver Pilots May Be Made Permanent Programs

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) expected the change would dramatically improve processing times for these applications, benefiting up to 90 per cent of applications than in processing and providing an advantage for both the caregivers who are just starting out and those who have been providing care in Canada already.

The immigration minister also hinted that the current pilot Caregiver programs could become permanent programs starting in June 2024.

“Caregivers are indispensable in assisting Canadian families and it’s an honour for us to provide them a more expedited route to permanent residence and prosperous integration into Canada,” said  Scarborough Centre MP Salma Zahid at the announcement on Friday.

“The decreased work experience requirement and reserved pathways to permanent residence recognize the sacrifices that caregivers make and the value of their work to Canadian society.”

The lower work experience requirement for the Caregiver programs becomes effective on April 30 and will be retrospective for caregivers who have already applied.

The latest IRCC data reveals that 3,035 foreign nationals gained their permanent residency through the Caregiver programs last year.

Here’s how to apply. First, applicants must get work permits by submitting an application for permanent residence and a work permit or study permit for themselves and their families.

That should include an occupation-specific work permit to obtain the work experience the applicant will need for permanent residence.

Once the two years of work experience is completed – soon to be one year of work experience – the applicant must submit proof of that to the IRCC to get their permanent residence.

Candidates who already have work experience as an in-home caregiver in Canada can choose one of two options:

They can use the two-step process outlined above, then complete the required work experience to get permanent residence or they can keep working in Canada with a current work permit and apply for permanent residence once the work experience term is completed, provided the general requirements are met.