Those who have applied under the Home Child Care Provider (HCCP) and Home Support Worker Pilot (HSW) will now need less Canadian work experience to qualify for permanent residence.
The announcement comes as part of the Government’s plan to create more pathways to permanent residence for caregivers. The HCCP and HSW Pilot programs will be extended until June 30, 2023 and are expected to become permanent programs in the future.
This change is meant to reduce the amount of time it takes for caregivers to transition from temporary foreign workers to permanent residents. It is also designed to provide more stability and job security, as well as better wages and working conditions. This announcement follows a number of initiatives aimed at creating better pathways for foreign workers, including the creation of a new pathway for temporary foreign workers in health care, and changes that make it easier for international students in Canada to apply for permanent residence.
IRCC expects that the change will have an impact on approximately 90% of applicants who are in process of applying for PR.
This is difficult to answer as it depends on the specific details of each individual application and the specific requirements for each type of PR application. However, IRCC has noted that the change will affect approximately 90% of applicants in the process, so it is likely that a large number of individuals will be impacted. for the caregiver programs. Both pilot programs were launched in 2019 and are set to expire in June 2024. Nearly 1,600 caregivers and their family members have become permanent residents through the programs. In 2022 alone, nearly 1,100 caregivers and their family members became permanent residents through the two pilots.
The Government of Canada will also introduce changes to the system designed to help caregivers integrate into Canadian society. This includes providing language training services at no cost through community-based organizations such as settlement services offices (SSOs) and settlement agencies; streamlining processes related to health insurance coverage; increasing funding for SSOs; and establishing a new national fund for long-term care facilities that support integration into the local community.
Other eligibility criteria remain the same. Candidates for both programs must be able to demonstrate:
- Language test results showing a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5;
- One year of Canadian post-secondary education or the foreign equivalent; and
- Pass an admissibility check (health, criminality, and security).
In terms of work experience, candidates must now be able to show:
- work experience that falls under National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 4411 or 4412
- Work experience must be in one of these jobs, it cannot be a mix of both jobs
- The candidate’s job matched the NOC job description and they completed most of the main duties
- Full-time work is defined as at least 30 hours of paid work each week
Aging Canadian Population
According to the 2021 census, there are 861,395 seniors living in Canada. There are also an additional 2.1 million between the ages of 75 and 85, many of whom are living in senior facilities and care homes. In 2016, there were 500,000 residents in long-term care, according to data. Because of the increasing elderly population and the fact that nearly nine million Canadians will reach 65 by 2030, Canada will need more caregivers in the near future. The aforementioned factors lead to the need for more childcare as well.
In addition, there is a need for more childcare as the majority of Canadian families are either single-parent or dual-income, and both parents are working outside the home. Many Canadian families do not have family nearby to help with childcare duties and rely on daycare or private care in their homes
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