On December 12, 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada proposed improvements to the Live-in Caregiver Program aiming to improve improve caregiver protections and to make the transition to permanent residence through the program easier. The proposed amendments became law on April 1, 2010. The changes include:
Expanding the time frame in which caregivers are able to complete their two years of work in order to qualify for permanent residence. Caregivers now have four years to meet the requirements where they previously had three. This offers caregivers more flexibility to deal with life’s unexpected events. A more flexible assessment of our requirements. Caregivers who work overtime may now use it to their advantage to apply for permanent residence sooner. They may now become eligible after:
3,900 hours over a minimum of 22 months, with a maximum of 390 overtime hours; or
Two years, at regular full-time rates. Reducing uncertainty faced by caregivers. Some caregivers have been denied permanent residence on the ground that an illness was discovered in a standard second medical examination after a caregiver had completed the requirements of the program. CIC now has the authority to assess medical admissibility in an application for permanent residence based on the medical examination administered before coming to Canada as temporary residents. This means the elimination of the second standard medical examination all live-in caregivers were required to undergo in Canada, after having completed their two years of employment.
More information about the Improvements to the Live-in Caregiver Program here. The elimination of the second standard medical examination for live-in caregivers was inspired by the story and struggle of Juana Tejada, a Filipina caregiver who died in Canada due to illness. Her application for PR Visa was refused due to medical inadmissiblity but she fought for it.
