The number of foreign caregivers becoming permanent residents has plummeted since Ottawa introduced what it calls “new pathways” for them to settle in Canada.According to Immigration Department data, about 20 per cent, or 555 caregivers out of 2,730 applicants, were granted permanent residency in the country in the three years after the former Conservative government set out the new language and post-secondary education requirements in November 2014.Under the old live-in caregiver program, an average of 8,000 caregivers received permanent status every year between 2006 and 2014 after they fulfilled the two-year live-in employment commitment and got their medical and criminal clearances.The rule changes are a blow to the immigration dreams of foreign caregivers, who have seen their transition rate from temporary worker status to permanent residency slowly falling from a peak of 83 per cent in the 1990s.In addition to the formal accreditation requirements for language and education, the former Conservative government made changes to cap the number of caregivers who can access permanent residency to 5,500 applicants a year and require employers to pay a $1,000 application fee to bring in caregivers.The government also removed the requirement that caregivers must live with their employer, with the goal of reducing the potential for abuse and exploitationDespite the great demand for caregivers in looking after Canada’s aging population and young children, critics say that overall the changes are part of a trend to create hurdles for “low-skilled” migrant workers to acquire permanent status, turning them into perpetual guest workers. They also say the majority of current caregivers still live with employers because they can’t afford transportation and rent to have their own place.“Little has changed for the caregivers,” said University of Toronto social work professor Rupaleem Bhuyan, who leads The Migrant Mothers Projec ...
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