7 Dec
Published December 7, 2011 in Embassy Magazine
By Manuela Gruber Hersch, ACNA Canada
Canada’s live-in caregiver program has been successful for decades. However, changes in April 2010 designed to protect foreign caregivers and a decreased quota of permanent residence applications for 2012 have many in the industry concerned about the program’s future.
25 Nov
By Tobi Cohen, Postmedia News, November 10, 2011
OTTAWA — Immigrants admitted through the government’s foreign live-in caregiver stream say they’ve been duped by the immigration minister, who touted the program’s success and certain growth prior to the May election, only to claw back on the number targeted for permanent residency next year.
Although the government maintains 98 per cent of live-in caregivers eventually become permanent residents, last week Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said fewer people were qualifying for the program, adding that it was one of two streams poised to take a hit in 2012 as the government freezes overall immigration while boosting certain economic streams.
It’s a far different tune than the one Kenney was singing last year.
25 Nov
Globe & Mail editorial – Published November 7, 2011
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s plan to accept 10,000 more skilled workers into Canada next year is a sound one, and so is the government’s overall target of 255,000 newcomers. Some other changes make less sense, and may be motivated by politics, more than economics.
Mr. Kenney acknowledged that the seven-year backlog to sponsor grandparents and parents has become unmanageable, and announced a two-year moratorium on applications. In the meantime, however, he will increase the quota by 10,000 over two years, to 25,000, and introduce a two-year multiple-entry visitor’s visa for these family members.
25 Nov
To those in the industry, the confirmation that there are less people entering the Live-In Caregiver program is not a surprise, but Immigration Minister Jason Kenney disclosed this information in an article recently posted here on Canada.com.
The government also is expecting a decline in the number of people who come to Canada as part of the live-in caregiver program “because fewer people are qualifying,” he said.
The overall point of the article is to stress the positive moves the Conservative government is making to shape the type of immigrants that Canada welcomes. However, we are still seeing a vital, urgent and necessary need for child care solutions in Canada ignored.
30 Sep
In April 2010, the entire Live-In Caregiver industry was turned upside down and the federal immigration program was rendered almost unrecognizable. There is no question that abuses of the LCP were widespread and rampant, and that changes were needed. However, what happened next seemed to be a knee-jerk reaction; all of the onus was shifted to the employer and caregivers were now going to be provided better work environments, faster processing and increased protection under the program.
1 1/2 years later, we are taking a look back and discussing ways to move forward for actual protection because, let’s face it.. we are worse off than we were before. Double the processing times, on average, for caregivers and families in regards to LMOs, work permits, initial PR assessment (open work permits), final Permanent Residency and family reunification. Abusive agencies and families moving to a “black market” unscrupulous industry. Worse than that, the Conservative Immigration Minister has been silent on the issue after rallying the Filipino Canadian community to provide overwhelming support for his party in the last Federal election.
Today we met with a foreign Live-In Caregiver who has been put through the ringer and her story is shocking and shows exactly why agencies need to be regulated and enforcement needs to be taken seriously. We’d like to share her story with you.
25 Aug
So you have finished your 24 months, waited through the terribly long processing times for your open permits or Permanent Residence and you’re looking for a live-out job. Alternatively, you may be a newcomer live-in caregiver or nearing the end of your program looking ahead to working on a live-out basis. What can you do to prepare yourself to secure the best possible live-out caregiver position? Check out our top five transitional steps to take before moving to this market.
22 Aug
Lately, we have been receiving an abundance of hits via a site called CanadaVisa.com where an angry group of Live In Caregivers have been using their discussion forums to compare processing times. Unsurprisingly, many are irate with the increases and now there is talk of mobilizing to create a protest and strike across Canada.
22 Aug
Before the last election, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney proposed significant changes to the live in caregiver program and caregiver groups were in overwhelming support. Promises of no second medical, over-time accruement towards faster completion, no recruitment fees, flights paid, health insurance, and most importantly of all, faster Permanent Residence processing times. In the following video at Caregivers One Special Day, Kenney reiterates many of those promises:
19 Aug
UPDATE AUGUST 23: A report coming from a caregiver online suggests that this procedure may not be as easy as initially thought. Apparently a caregiver with implied status has to wait till their OHIP expires, apply to renew, wait for the rejection and then file an appeal. More hoops to go through in order to take advantage of health care they are entitled to as a temporary foreign workers.
—
Yesterday, Toronto immigration lawyer Rafael Fabregas tipped us off, via his Twitter @rafael_fabregas, that not only can foreign caregivers in Toronto maintain OHIP while on implied status when their work permit has expired, but it is not exactly new, just not commonly known.
For the last few years, and especially since the ballooning of caregiver Permanent Residence processing times, we have met no less than one caregiver per day at our office who has no OHIP coverage due to being denied renewal as their permit is expired. However, these caregivers have implied status with their last employer on record and are just caught in the waiting period for the open permits.
16 Aug
This is a truly unfortunate story regarding a lady who came to Canada as a Live-In Caregiver. Finally, after six years, she was reunited with her son, now 20 years old. The question has been brought up of whether or not the mental anguish of a child apart from his mother for so many years may have contributed to his state.
Our thoughts go out to the caregiver’s family.
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