Many foreign nationals come to Canada to work as nannies, elderly caregiver, or support workers. Recently, Canada announced that they will have an easier path to permanent residency and a greater chance of bringing their families with them to Canada. Currently under the caregiver visas, the worker has to be employed in Canada for two years until they can apply for permanent residency. After a worker has permanent residency they can then sponsor their family. Many workers then realize they don’t qualify for permanent residency and cannot sponsor their family members.
Under the new five-year pilot program, these foreign workers will be screened beforehand to see if they qualify to become permanent residents after they’ve completed their two year employment period in Canada. This will reduce the disappointment foreign workers could receive after the two year mark.
The new five-year pilot program will also allow foreign workers to bring their spouses and children with them. The program will also be granting work permits specific to the foreign worker’s occupation rather than their employer allowing more freedom for the foreign worker.
Key Changes to the Pilot Program
- Foreign workers will be screened up front so those who qualify will become permanent residents as soon as they’ve completed their two years of employment
- Foreign workers will be able to bring their spouses and children with them
- Foreign workers will be granted work permits specific to their occupation rather than their employer
Concerns About the New Pilot Program Changes
Aimee Beboso is the chair of Migrante Canada which is an advocacy group for foreign workers. She has been advocating for this change in Canada for many years. “Status is very key here, because status grants you rights. It grants you access to services that are not afforded to temporary foreign workers,” she told CBC’s All In A Day.
She was concerned about how the government was communicating these new changes because it was being translated differently. She said the wording when they announced the new program suggested that workers would have a required amount of money provided before boarding a plane to Canada.
The press secretary to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, Mathieu Genest, said that the foreign worker is only required to show that they can support themselves once they are in Canada. “There are no financial requirements to participate in the program,” Genest said in an email to CBC. “As a job offer is a requirement for the caregiver pilot programs, most applicants will meet the financial eligibility criteria before applying.”
Source: CBC.ca
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Ella Bergquist
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