The Immigration Department of Canada has posted a notice which states that Foreign Caregivers who will not complete two years of employment before November 29, 2019 will not be eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
The two programs which had been initiated in 2014 for immigration of foreign caregivers for children and people with special medical needs, are nearing their expiry date. Since the time these pilot programs have been launched, around 555 foreign caregivers have been granted permanent citizenship. As the deadline for these two programs nears, the Canadian government is reviewing them to decide whether to remove, replace or renew them.
Faith St. John, spokesperson for Immigration Canada, has stated that “Both programs were launched as five-year pilots, including a date that they expire. With a launch date of November 29, 2014, this means they will expire on November 29, 2019.”
This announcement made on the Immigration website has taken all foreign caregivers by surprise. Not all the caregivers working in Canada at present can meet the two year employment requirement by the time these programs end. This news has also put the future of the arriving caregivers in jeopardy. If the program ends, permanent residency can become unattainable for migrant caregivers.
How will it affect foreign caregivers?
Out of the total number of caregivers who come to Canada, 95% arrive with the hope of getting permanent citizenship so that they can provide their families with brighter prospects.
The Canadian Caregiver Program is a one-of-a-kind initiative which makes permanent residence so easy for migrants. This is an incentive to attract foreign caregivers to work for relatively lower pay scales and in sub-standard working conditions.
