Pinoy immigrants joyful as Canada reduces work experience for applicants in caregiver pilot programs

This change will be effective from April 30, 2023

Aiming to expedite the process of permanent residence for caregivers, the Canadian government has taken step to reduce the duration of work experience from 24 to 12 months.

This was announced by members of Parliament, Salma Zahid and Rechie Valdez, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Also, those caregivers who already have some Canadian work experience from a previous work permit would also be catered to right away. This change will be effective from April 30, 2023 and be also applied to those caregivers who had applied beforehand as well.

“Caregivers are an important option for families in Canada and have played an instrumental role in the lives of many growing children, aging parents, and those who need additional specialized care. By reducing the work experience required in Canada to one year, more caregivers and their families will become eligible to transition to permanent residence sooner,” said Fraser.

Zahid also weighed in and said that it was an honour to provide them a faster route for settlement: “The decreased work experience requirement and reserved pathways to permanent residence recognize the sacrifices that caregivers make and the value of their work to Canadian society.”

Valdez added that through such measures, caregivers would feel appreciated for their hard work.

This step will help numerous families who are awaiting caregivers, and is expected to benefit 90% of the current applications under review. As the end date of existing caregiver programs approaches, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to create ease for all caregivers, those who have just begun as well as those who had already been providing care, through new reforms.

“I can finally let out a sigh of relief because my ailing parents really need me to look after them, and this measure would mean I can settle down sooner than I could have imagined,” shared Savan Kumar, 32, an Oakville resident.

Work is already underway on the future of caregiver programming to plan for what comes next after the pilots conclude in June 2024.

Abigail James, 28, a Milton resident of Philippines origin, felt that this step would ensure that her family as well as neighbours no longer have to worry about her status: “Both my parents as well as my neighbours are excited to know about this because this translates to lesser waiting time for my PR. Saeed added that her neighbour also needed special care and assistance and she would often look after her as well.

The shift in criteria is intended to apply to applicants from both the Home Child Care Provider (HCCP) pilot and the Home Support Worker (HSW) pilot, including those whose applications have already been received by IRCC and prospective applicants for the remainder of the five-year pilots.

Since the launch of the pilots in 2019, nearly 1,600 caregivers and their family members have become permanent residents. In 2022 alone, nearly 1,100 caregivers and their family members became permanent residents through the two pilots.