Canada recently opened a temporary immigration pathway for caregivers namely, the Interim Pathway for Caregivers. The pathway is open for three months from March 4, 2019, to June 4, 2019. It aims to provide an opportunity for temporary foreign worker caregivers and their family members to obtain permanent residence in Canada.
According to IRCC, the pathway is designed to mitigate some of the confusion caused when changes were made to the caregiver system in 2014 under the previous Conservative government. On the new interim pathway for caregivers, Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said, “Caregivers came to Canada to provide care to families that need it, and it’s time for Canada to care for them in return. To demonstrate our commitment, we are finally providing them and their family members the opportunity to apply to become permanent residents.”
A news release issued by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the Interim Pathway for Caregivers is meant for those who came to Canada to provide care to Canadian families, in the hope of eventually transitioning to becoming permanent residents. Caregivers who have been working in Canada temporarily but who have not qualified for any other current caregiver program can apply to the Interim Pathway for Caregivers, but they should not miss the June 4th deadline, according to the news release. If you have any doubts regarding the program or want to explore your options for migrating to Canada as a caregiver, you can contact ImmiLaw Global, the immigration lawyers,the best immigration consultants in Kerala.
An end to the caregivers’ woes
The IRCC launched this interim program after hearing directly from caregivers and interested parties that the previous changes made in 2014 were not well understood. Though many caregivers began working for families in Canada, it was only later they found out that they were not going to qualify for permanent residence under an existing program. The Interim Pathway for Caregivers was introduced to address this issue and it will provide those caregivers an opportunity to stay in Canada permanently.
The interim program has modified criteria compared to the current pilot programs and offers a pathway to permanent residence for caregivers have come to Canada and are providing care to Canadians, without a clear pathway to permanent residence.
The Government of Canada continues to show its commitment to family reunification and eliminating backlogs across all immigration streams. In 2017, the Government announced its commitment to eliminating 80% of the caregiver backlogs and reducing the processing time, which was almost more than 60 months. The Government has successfully cleared 94% of the backlogs and reduced the processing time to 12 months.
Eligibility criteria
In order to be eligible to apply to the Interim Pathway for Caregivers for permanent residence in Canada, the candidate must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- The candidate must have a valid work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit
- The candidate must intend to reside outside Quebec
- The candidate must have minimum one year of work experience as a home childcare provider or home support worker or a combination of experience in both the occupations. You can apply through the Caring for Children class if you have been working as a home child care provider in Canada for at least two years and meet minimum language and education requirements. A candidate can apply through the Caring for People with High Medical Needs class if he/she has been working in Canada for at least two years as a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurse aide or orderly home support worker. They must also meet minimum language and education requirements.
- Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark 5 level of proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking in English or French. If you will not be able to submit your language test results before the deadline, you must submit proof of an appointment to take the test along with the date
- Education level equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma. If you won’t be able to submit your Educational Credential Assessment before the deadline, you prove that you’ve applied for one
For further information on eligibility criteria, get in touch with ImmiLaw Global, one of the best Canada immigration consultants in Kerala.
Benefits of Interim Pathway for Caregivers
Faster processing
Applications for permanent residence through the IPC will be processed in 12 months
No limit
The government has not set any cap on the number of caregivers, along with their families, to be accepted. So, caregivers have higher chances of obtaining permanent residence and bringing their spouses/common-law partners and dependent children to Canada.
Work permit
Under the new pilots, in-home caregivers will get occupation-specific work permits. This will provide them greater flexibility to change their jobs if necessary
Bring the family to Canada
Caregivers will be able to bring their families to Canada, as their spouses/common-law partners will be eligible for an open work permit and their dependent children will be eligible for a study permit.
Some interesting facts about caregiver programs
- In October 2017, there was a backlog of about 9,000 cases, representing 24,000 caregivers and their family members, in the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). IRCC has brought this down to only 495 cases, representing 2,655 people. It means a reduction in backlogs close to 95 percent.
- The maximum time takes to process an application under the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots continues to be six months or less.
- IRCC is planning to launch the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot in June 2019. It will replace the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilot programs. Each of the new pilot programs will have a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants, for a combined total of 5,500 principal applicants per year. This is excluding spouses/common-law partners and dependent children.
- Under the new pilots, in-home caregivers will get occupation-specific work permits. It will give them greater flexibility in changing jobs when necessary. The spouses/common-law partners of caregivers will be eligible for an open work permit and their dependent children will be eligible for a study permit.
Immigration experts have welcomed the introduction of the Interim Pathway for Caregivers as the demand for caregivers in Canada is really large. They expect that the Canadian government would expand the program after the three-month period.
Want to know more about immigration programs for caregivers? Contact ImmiLaw Global, the best immigration consultants in Kerala, Canada
