Canada is set for another update of immigration programs – this time for caregivers
As Russian Toronto notes, this quota is allocated only for applicants; family members are in addition to the quota. With the introduction of these programs, the previous programs currently in effect (Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs) will be closed.
The new programs are generally similar to those being closed. Applicants who receive approval from immigration authorities receive a work permit in Canada to care for children and people with disabilities. After two years of work, they become eligible to apply for permanent resident status in Canada.
The distinctive features of the new programs are as follows. First, the procedure for switching from one employer to another is simplified, without losing the right to work. Second, and most importantly, after receiving a work permit, the entire family is allowed to come to Canada – that is, along with the applicant who has obtained the right to work in Canada as a caregiver, their spouse and children may also come to Canada. In this case, the spouse receives an open work permit in Canada.
This is a significant change, because under the current rules, a person going to Canada to work as a caregiver cannot bring their family with them. And the fact that the spouse is given an open work permit is also a major help and opens up additional opportunities for immigration, including through the spouse filing an immigration application.
Finally, the new programs legitimize the status of caregivers and formalize the possibility for them to undergo immigration. In the current programs, such a possibility was not stipulated, and many of those who have worked or are currently working as caregivers face a problem after two years – they cannot immigrate because there is no immigration program suitable for them.
In the new programs, this gap is eliminated, and the immigration procedure is clearly outlined. Moreover, the provisions of the new programs will apply to everyone who came as a caregiver after 2014.