The Canadian Government has announced a new initiative, allowing caregivers to receive permanent residency upon arrival in the country
Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, who disclosed this, said the programme would commence by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
“Caregivers play a critical role in supporting Canadian families, and our programmes need to reflect their invaluable contributions.
“As we work to implement a permanent caregivers programme, these two new pilots will not only improve support for caregivers but also provide families with the quality care they deserve”, said Miller in an IRCC news release.
The new programme, set to replace the current Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, which will expire on June 17, will allow caregivers to work for organisations that provide temporary or part-time care for semi-independent individuals or those recovering from injury or illness.
It marks a significant shift from the existing caregiver pilot programmes, which require work experience in Canada. The current programme, also, mandated a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5, a year of Canadian post-secondary education or its foreign equivalent, and at least six months of work experience.
However, under the new initiative, caregivers will be granted permanent residency upon arrival.
Eligibility for the new caregiver programme includes, achieving a minimum of level 4 on the CLB, holding the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma, having recent and relevant work experience, and receiving an offer for a full-time home care job.
The demand for caregivers in Canada is on the rise as the population ages. According to the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada expects to welcome more than 15,000 new permanent residents through caregiver programmes. Since the launch of the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot in 2019, approximately 5,700 caregivers and their family members have become permanent residents as of April 30, 2024.
