New Pathways to Permanent Residence for Caregivers

During an event today at the Neighbourhood Organization in Toronto, Canada's Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen announced pilot programs that will allow caregivers to bring family members with them to Canada, and make it easier for them to become permanent residents.

“Caregivers provide care to families in Canada that need it, and it’s time for Canada to care for them in return. We are providing them with both the opportunity to bring their family members here and access permanent residency to demonstrate our commitment.” 

– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship [Source]

Under the new pilots, applicants will be assessed for permanent residence criteria before they begin working in Canada. Once the caregiver has their work permit and 2 years of work experience, they will have access to a direct pathway to become a permanent resident.

These pilot programs will replace the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots and include:

• Occupation-specific work permits for caregivers, providing the ability to change jobs quickly when necessary.
• Open work permits for spouses/common-law partners and study permits for dependent children, to allow the caregiver’s family to accompany them to Canada.

Implementation date of this immigration pilot is yet to be announced.

Interim Pathway for Caregivers
The Minister also launched the Interim Pathway for Caregivers, which will be open from March 4, 2019, until June 4, 2019.

To qualify under the Interim Pathway for Caregivers, you must have a Canadian experience (12 months full-time since Nov 30, 2014) as a home child care provider, home support worker or a combination of both. Experience as a foster parent or housekeeper doesn’t count.

Your work experience must have been gained while working in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, meaning your work permit was issued based on a positive Labor Market Opinion.

Interested to study, work and live in Canada? Take our FREE Online Assessment and learn your options. You can bank on Canadian Immigration Consultancy's over 25 years of experience and become one of the thousands of clients we've already sent to Canada. 

You may also Call to us or visit our office by booking an appointment and we will be happy to help you plan your journey to a Quality Life in Canada.