TORONTO – A record number of live-in caregivers will be admitted as permanent residents of Canada in 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander Tuesday.
The number – at 17,500 – represents the highest number of admissions through the Live-in Caregiver Program in a single year since the program started in 1993, he said in a press statement.
Hundreds of Filipino caregivers who work in the Greater Toronto Area and across the country are expected to benefit from the new federal government policy. (More info at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/index.asp).
“Live-in caregivers participating in the program came here with the promise of permanent residency after meeting work obligations in looking after the children, elderly or disabled people in their care. We need to honour our commitment to them,” Alexander said.
LCP offers a direct path to permanent residence unlike those in other categories temporary foreign workers enjoy. In recent years, however, application backlogs and extended processing times have slowed down, with the number of those eligible for permanent residency outpacing planned levels of admissions.
“Wait times in the LCP have grown to levels that are unacceptable to caregivers,” said Alexander. “Our government has already slashed application backlogs for skilled workers and parents and grandparents. Now, we turn our attention to the LCP.”
Filipino caregivers, through several associations, have repeatedly complained to federal authorities about the long wait in getting their permanent residency, which usually is longer than their work obligations with their employers.
The LCP facilitates entry of qualified caregivers into Canada when employers have not been able to find Canadians to fill these positions. Caregivers can apply for permanent residence in Canada after working for two years during their first four years after entry into Canada.