New caregiver pilot programs allow families to come along
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2019 08:33:52 +0000
Caregivers will soon have access to two new five-year caregiver immigration pilots that will replace the current Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilot programs. The new pilots will allow caregivers to come to Canada together with their family and provide a pathway to permanent residence.
Caregivers will also soon have greater flexibility to change jobs quickly, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen announced on February 25, 2019.
Under the new pilots, Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot, applicants will be assessed for permanent residence criteria before they begin working in Canada. Once the caregiver has their work permit and two years of work experience, they will have access to a direct pathway to become a permanent resident.
“Caregivers provide care to families in Canada that need it, and it’s time for Canada to care for them in return,” said Hussen. “We are providing them with both the opportunity to bring their family members here and access permanent residency to demonstrate our commitment.”
They will include occupation-specific work permits for caregivers, with increased ability to switch jobs quickly, as well as open work permits for spouses/common-law partners and study permits for dependent children, to allow the caregiver’s family to accompany them to Canada.
Both the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot will launch later this year and have a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants each, for a total of 5,500 principal applicants, per year. Spouses/common-law partners and dependent children will not count against the limit.
Interim Pathway for Caregivers
In addition, the Minister also launched the Interim Pathway for Caregivers, which will be open from March 4, 2019, until June 4, 2019.
This interim program is being launched after hearing directly from caregivers and interested parties that the previous changes made in 2014 were not well understood. Many caregivers began working for families in Canada, only to find out later that they were not going to qualify for permanent residence.
To address this issue, the Interim Pathway for Caregivers will provide those caregivers an opportunity to stay in Canada permanently. It will offer a pathway to permanent residence for caregivers who, in good faith, have come to Canada and are providing care to Canadians.