For the next few weeks, we will take a look at the Caregiver Programs offered in Canada for workers to apply for permanent residence. In this first post, we will look at the program chronology and a comparison of the programs we’ve had in the past.
Program Chronology
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Live-in Caregiver Program
(1992 –2014)
-
Caring for Children Caring for People with High Medical Needs Classes
(2014 -2019)
-
Interim Pathway for Caregivers
(March 4 –June 4, 2019)
-
Home Child Care Provider Home Support Worker Classes
(2019 -2024)
Now closed to new applications, the Live-in Caregiver Program had been a dedicated pathway for domestic workers to get permanent residence. It was in place for over 20 years.
In 2014, the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs classes were introduced. The purpose of these caregiver programs were to align them with other economic immigration programs. They were set to expire in November 2019.
With the 2014 pilot, the changes were not well understood and uptake numbers were very low. Because of this, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced in February 2018 to having an improved pathway to permanent residence. This was to take place before the 2014 pilots expired.
In February 2019, the Minister announced new immigration programs to follow through on the commitment:
- Interim Pathway for Caregivers (March to June 2019)
- Two new 5-year caregiver pilots to replace the 2014 pilots (2019-2024)
Program Comparison
Live-In Caregiver (1992-2014)
- Relatively guaranteed pathway to permanent residence after 2 years of work experience
- Language and education assessed before caregivers arrived in Canada
- Mandatory to live-in while obtaining Canadian work experience
- Unlimited intake of temporary residents and limited permanent resident admissions resulted in significant backlog
- Family separation while applications processed
Caregiver Pilots (2014-2019)
- Caregivers come as all other temporary foreign workers: permanent resident requirements not assessed up-front
- Include intermediate and high-skilled occupations
- Can apply for permanent residence after 2 years of working in Canada, if they meet the eligibility criteria (e.g. language and education)
- No live-in requirement
- Maximum of 2,750 principal applicants annually per class
Need help?
Are you a caregiver or someone looking to help your caregiver find a pathway for immigration to Canada? Contact David Aujla to get the process started.
