One-step pathway to permanent status for Canada caregivers under new pilots

RED DEER, Alberta — Years of campaign to grant caregivers permanent status upon arrival have bore fruit after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced in June new pilot programs that lowered admission requirements for new caregivers arriving in Canada.

On June 3, IRCC said yes to care workers' clamor to give them permanent residence upon arrival, days before the current program's expiry on June 17. 

The IRCC is also expanding the scope of Canada's caregiving program beyond families' homes to include for or not-for profit organizations that provide care to individuals. 

"This new pathway means that caregivers can more easily find proper work with reliable employers and have clear, straightforward access to permanent resident status as soon as they arrive in Canada," said IRCC in a news release.

Caregiver rights advocates welcomed the changes, hoping it will offer a solution to the widespread abuse and exploitation many care workers face in homes across Canada. 

Challenges

Filipina nanny Julie Villagracia, 41, celebrated her success after receiving her certificate of permanent residence recently in June. This milestone, however, did not come without challenges.

Julie has a nursing background and lived in La Trinidad, Benguet, some 255 kilometers north of the Philippine capital of Manila, before joining the foreign workers sector as a caregiver in Canada in 2023. She worked as a nanny for her cousin in January 2023, in the Alberta capital city of Edmonton, until February 2024. It took about six months before their children could join her and her husband.

She said obtaining her PR status was a result of extended review times along with repeated requests for additional documents despite having already submitted some in advance.

The delay meant Julie had to endure waiting almost four months before receiving eligibility confirmation in May. "The uncertainty during this period was particularly challenging," she told GMA Online News. 

On June 19, IRCC granted her and her family permanent residence. "This marked the successful completion of our journey towards obtaining permanent residency in Canada for myself and my family. We're grateful for reaching this milestone after overcoming the obstacles along the way," she said. 

Julie struggled to find a fulltime job after her caregiver contract had ended. "Job opportunities were scarce, and transportation posed a hurdle, with some workplaces inaccessible by bus or requiring a lengthy commute of one to two hours," she said. 

"Moreover, some jobs offered low pay and involved various tasks beyond my nursing background. Additionally, some employers preferred hiring tourist visa holders for lower wages," she added.

During this period, Julie relied on employment insurance, a temporary income support from the government to keep the family finances afloat, until a new job opportunity recognized her knowledge and skills. 

In terms of the changes to the caregiver pilots, Julie believes many from her circle of caregiver friends under the older pilots would like to see fairness in their own journey to gaining permanent residence. 

"The general sentiment often revolves around frustration with the complexity and unpredictability of the process. Many caregivers have experienced delays and uncertainty despite meeting all requirements, which has caused significant stress and financial strain," she said.

"There is a strong consensus that the application process should prioritize clarity and timeliness, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and unnecessary delays," she added. 

More autonomy

Periodic changes over the years to Canada's foreign worker program portfolios trigger fear and anxiety to the temporary foreign worker sector, including caregivers. 

IRCC remains steadfast in working towards a permanent program that would meet the needs of Canadian families, said Julie Lafortune, department spokesperson in an interview with GMA News Online. 

"We are simplifying the process and providing homecare workers a clear, straightforward pathway to stay and care for Canadian families. It will be a one-step immigration process to get their PR. This significant change of giving PR upon arrival provides more autonomy for caregivers to leave workplaces with abusive situations and seek opportunities to advance in the care sector,” she said. 

Under the new pilots, IRCC will reduce the language requirement, recognizing that caregivers still need some proficiency in English or French to provide necessary care. IRCC will also no longer require applicants one-year post-secondary education, instead high school diploma would be adequate. 

IRCC is also addressing concerns that caregivers under the expired pilots will be left behind.

"Even though the Home Child Care Provider (HCCP) and Home Support Worker (HSW) caregiver pilots closed on June 17, 2024, we will continue to process and finalize applications that were received before the pilots closed in accordance with the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan," said Lafortune. 

"The period between the ending of the current pilots and the launch of the new pilots will give us time to reduce the inventory of existing applications and plan for the opening of application intake under the new pilots," she added.

Caregivers who have been approved to work in Canada during this period will continue to arrive, while applicants with pending decision will have eligibility requirements adjusted between the old pilots and the new PR-on-arrival to ensure fairness, said Lafortune, citing eligibility without the 12-month Canadian experience. 

For caregivers already in Canada but have not applied under the HCCP and HSWP, access to the new pilots will be granted as spaces will be reserved for them, said Lafortune. 

"The care economy provides crucial care to aging parents and grandparents, children, and many adults who live with disabilities or long-term conditions. The care economy continues to evolve, and more Canadians are relying on it," she said.

Regularization

Migrant rights umbrella organization Migrant Rights Network (MRN), who has been at the forefront of the status upon arrival campaign, welcomed the announcement.

"[The] changes are a long-time coming,” said the group in a statement. 
The group had put a blame on the federal government’s implementation of the expired pilots, saying it caused "thousands of caregivers unable to gain permanent residency," because of the steep education and language requirements.

The upcoming changes, however, appear to leave out undocumented migrant care workers, said MRN, whose other campaign involves regularization of undocumented migrant workers in Canada.

For its part, Migrante Canada maintains that until detailed provisions of the new pilots are made available to the public, stakeholders "are left with a great press announcement, minus the fine print."

The group said it would like to see care workers holding PR status upon arrival instead of a pathway to access permanent residence. 

"There is a huge difference between one, caregivers arriving in Canada as permanent residents, and second, having access to PR under the new pathway as soon as they arrive," it said. 

"The first is simple, you have PR status when you arrive through those borders. The second is you do not have PR when you arrive, what you have is access to PR status when you get here. That access is called a pathway," Migrante Canada explained. —KBK, GMA Integrated News