Advocates concerned over end of Canada's caregiver pilot programs

Two key pilot programs for caregivers in Canada are set to end this June 17. 

The Home Child Care Provider and the Home Support Worker programs began five years ago. 

It allowed qualified caregivers to bring their family with them to Canada, and apply for permanent residency after a year of work experience. 

But with the programs coming to a close, the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights is concerned. 

It fears that caregivers who came in as temporary foreign workers could lose their pathway to become permanent residents. 

The group’s co-founder Julie Diesta said fellow Filipinos in Canada could be affected by this. 

She said the required post-secondary education and high language test scores have made it nearly impossible for thousands of Filipino caregivers to apply for permanent residency. 

“There are a lot of them, not just here in BC but across Canada,” said Diesta. “Some have taken the English test 12 times but they still have not passed. First, they don’t have time to review. Second, because they get nervous as they’re under time pressure to finish the exam. So, it’s really difficult for them.”

Diesta added that as they are unable to overcome this obstacle, many care workers put up with abuses from their employers because they need them for their Labour Market Impact Assessment and their work permit. 

“For them (Filipino caregivers) to be eligible or for their employers to get another LMIA, they need to obey them,” she said. “If they’re caring for children, they can be asked to wash the car, do the gardening, and work in the home for 12 to 16 hours.”

Migrant workers advocate Darla Tomeldan said these care workers have already earned their permanent residency through their years of working here. 

She hopes the government will be more flexible, and will allow a lower passing mark on the language test.

“It's heartbreaking because they’ve been here six, seven years,” said Tomeldan. “I mean, they’ve earned it. I'm hoping that like the last time, they have an interim pathway.”

At the same time, Tomeldan, who is also a licensed immigration consultant, said that these care workers can also consider other pathways that will make their dream of permanent residency easier to achieve.

Diesta said the government has not given any hint on its plans for a new program that will replace the caregiver pilots.

She also urged caregivers to write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and to Immigration minister Marc Miller to press them to give them their permanent resident status now.