This has come to us as a surprise. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that they will no longer be accepting applications for the Caring for Children Program or the Caring for People with high Medical Needs Program. While the Canadian government did not formally make this announcement, the notice appears in regular text on the IRCC website. These two programs replaced the previous Live-In Caregiver Program (LICP) on November 29, 2014 and while the programs were a replacement, they were a pilot-project with a lifespan of 5 years, expiring on November 29, 2019.
Caregivers who will not complete 24 months of full-time work experience before November 29, 2019 will not be eligible to apply for permanent residence. As always, the federal government will now review the two programs and determine what they will do – either get rid of them completely, renew them or replace them with a different but similar program. It is very likely that an announcement will be made well before the expiration date of November 29, 2019.
Of course, many caregivers in Canada and abroad are confused, upset and were caught off guard by the news. Fear has spread throughout the caregiver community that this might just very well be the end of the caregiver program. The need for childcare and elderly care in Canada is well-known and there is a shortage in Canada. This unique one-of-a-kind program attracts caregivers from around the world whereby they leave their families and children behind to care for Canadian families. They make this sacrifice because of better employment prospects and wages in Canada.
Despite the uncertainty, it is believed that caregivers will continue to come to Canada in hopes for a chance to become permanent residents.
Caregivers who will complete their 24 months can contact our office for assistance with their application for permanent residence. We encourage those who meet the requirements to retain the services of an immigration representative to ensure their application is submitted properly to avoid disappointments, as this can be one of the only chances to get it right! Call our office at 416-665-3939 or toll-free 1-888-808-7338.
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