Live-in Caregiver program

[Yelsew]

Hello everyone, this is my first post to the forum and I wasn't able to find a category specifically on the subject of the Live-in Caregiver program, so I'm posting it here in the General section.

An extended family member in the Philippines has recently completed an approved Caregiver course which meets the standards of Canada's LIC program. But to our great disappointment, we have found out, through several reputable agencies here in Canada, that nobody is accepting applications from the Philippines because of excessively long processing times at the visa office in Manila. Employers don't want to wait 18 months to get a live-in caregiver, which is understandable, but is the Canadian government doing anything to address this backlog? Filipinos have traditionally made up a very large percentage of the live-in caregivers here in Canada, but it seems now they are, in effect, shut out of the program through no fault of their own. One of the agencies said that our relative should first go to another country with shorter processing times (Cyprus, of all places, was suggested), work for a year and then apply. This option is really not very practical. Can anyone shed some light on how this situation arose, and what, if anything is being done about it. Thanks in advance.

 

[Yelsew]

Just giving this a little bump in the hope of getting a response from someone more familiar with what's going on in Manila with the LCP. It seems such a shame that newly-qualified Filipino/-a caregivers appear to have little chance of ever getting into Canada due to the slow processing of their applications...is going to another country first really the only option? Thanks in advance to anyone who has some insights into this situation.

 

[Leon]

I have heard of some going to Hong Kong. If she takes this option, she doesn't have to stay for a year in the country where she goes before she applies for Canada. She can get a job in another country and immediately start working on getting a job in Canada.

However, the live-in caregiver class is very time consuming. First she has to work for 2 years and after that she applies for PR but there is currently a 38 month wait to get the PR, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-ec.asp

 

[Yelsew]

Thanks, Leon. She doesn't really want to have to uproot herself twice (with the financial and emotional toll that involves) but I think we are going to have to tell her that's her only choice to have any hope of coming to Canada. An obstacle in her path that we didn't see coming, and of course her school didn't warn her about it. I'm not sure when the caregiver agencies stopped accepting applications directly from the Philippines, but it must have been not so long ago. I guess there must be a huge backlog of LIC applications at the Manila visa office, and Kenney's department is not interested in providing any resources to address the problem. I have a feeling the end is in sight for the LIC program, even though I'm sure there will still a demand for caregivers in Canada. I noticed that the number of PR's in this category has been declining for the past couple of years. Add on the 38 month waiting time for PR approval which you mentioned (three times as long as Canadian Experience)--after caregivers have already been away from their partners and kids for at least two years while working--and only THEN can they begin the sponsorship process, which will likely take another year. It's enough to discourage anyone

 

[Leon]

As for sponsoring their families, if they do their 2 years as a LIC, they can get an open work permit pretty fast after they apply for PR. This has changed for the better because it used to be like 18 months just to get that. With the open work permit, they can take any job. As a TFW, if they find a job in a skilled position, they can apply for a visa for their partner and children to join them which would be pretty fast if they are approved and not considered a risk to overstay which could also happen.

If they are unable to call their families on a temporary visa like that, they have of course included them in their PR applications so when they get their PR, their families should get it at the same time and they do not have to wait again to sponsor them.

 

[Yelsew]

Ah yes, of course--when she applies for PR, she would be including her spouse and kids in the same application. For some reason, I was thinking she would have to wait until her own PR status is granted, and only then apply to sponsor them (since the regulations say that only Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor family members). I knew about the open work permit which enables the caregiver to work unrestricted after fulfilling the LIC hours, but in this person's case there is little chance of her qualifying for a 'skilled' position based on NOC definitions, and so her wait time is going to be quite long.

 

[Leon]

You may think that a skilled position is something high up but this is not always the case. If she works at a fast food restaurant and makes it to shift manager, she would be considered skilled.