Live-In Caregiver Takes on a New Meaning
Live in caregiver takes on a whole new meaning. With changes to the caregiver program, caregivers have been given the green light to live outside the residence of their employer.
Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, sites that the reforms to the Caregiver Program acknowledges the valuable contributions caregivers make to Canadian families and the economy.
The changes to the program will give qualified caregivers two paths to have their application processed in as little as 6 months. This means faster times for family reunification.
Most caregivers and organizations that work with the caregiver program see this as €great news€. Caregivers who choose to live outside the residence of their employers will not be subject to threat and the fear of being reported nor will they be subject to work ungodly hours - even after their supposed shift has ended.
Caregivers have spoken about the various levels of abuse while living in the residence of the employer. Throughout the evening and into the night, they were still being asked to watch and care for children as parents went out, or had to get up in the night for €night time feed or diaper change.€
€This is so cool, will it happen for real?€ Rosie asked with a giggle and beaming eyes. €Mean I will finally have set working hours and can leave at the end of the day. Staying at their place is like working 24/7; the children and the parents call you all the time.€
Like anything else, there are two sides to every story, and it seems that not all caregivers welcome the change. Maria thinks that caregivers may be forced to live outside their employer's residence and will have to rent an apartment. €Renting an apartment full time is not cheap and our salary will be the same.€ She said in a wondering whisper. €The minister should think of that too€, she continued.
Joyce a caregiver from South America agrees with Maria. €Right now I am looking for an employer and now that they know this, they don't want live in people. It's cheaper for them - if you live with them you get food and you don't have this much bills to pay.€
Chantal Desloges, a Toronto Immigration Lawyer, says €The biggest one of course is that they're removing the requirement that caregivers have to live in the home with their employer in order to qualify, which is€¦ it's an enormous change and it's going to be very, very beneficial for the caregivers.€
€Hmm€ Joyce sighed as I pointed out the statement made by Chantal to the ladies. €Yea, they are not looking at the big picture - now I have to pay rent, buy food and pay for transportation on the same salary.€
I drew the ladies attention to the fact that the new changes brought the opportunity of faster reunification and for the first time I saw a smile on Maria's face, her eyes lit up. €That part I like,€ she said in an almost childlike voice. €I want my girls to come to Canada, there are so many opportunities here for them, my husband could get a good job and I would go back to school.€
Over the last few years, the Government of Canada has made several changes to the Caregiver programs, including making open work permits available to live-in caregivers immediately upon applying for permanent residence, and changing the amount of time it takes for a caregiver to complete the work requirement from three years to four, adopting a standardized employment contract for live-in caregivers that defines the employer's obligations to the caregiver and arranging emergency processing of new work permits for caregivers who have been abused and need to leave their employment urgently.
So while it seems the program will be keeping the name - €Live-in Caregiver,€ - Caregivers can now live outside the residence of their employer without repercussion.
Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, sites that the reforms to the Caregiver Program acknowledges the valuable contributions caregivers make to Canadian families and the economy.
The changes to the program will give qualified caregivers two paths to have their application processed in as little as 6 months. This means faster times for family reunification.
Most caregivers and organizations that work with the caregiver program see this as €great news€. Caregivers who choose to live outside the residence of their employers will not be subject to threat and the fear of being reported nor will they be subject to work ungodly hours - even after their supposed shift has ended.
Caregivers have spoken about the various levels of abuse while living in the residence of the employer. Throughout the evening and into the night, they were still being asked to watch and care for children as parents went out, or had to get up in the night for €night time feed or diaper change.€
€This is so cool, will it happen for real?€ Rosie asked with a giggle and beaming eyes. €Mean I will finally have set working hours and can leave at the end of the day. Staying at their place is like working 24/7; the children and the parents call you all the time.€
Like anything else, there are two sides to every story, and it seems that not all caregivers welcome the change. Maria thinks that caregivers may be forced to live outside their employer's residence and will have to rent an apartment. €Renting an apartment full time is not cheap and our salary will be the same.€ She said in a wondering whisper. €The minister should think of that too€, she continued.
Joyce a caregiver from South America agrees with Maria. €Right now I am looking for an employer and now that they know this, they don't want live in people. It's cheaper for them - if you live with them you get food and you don't have this much bills to pay.€
Chantal Desloges, a Toronto Immigration Lawyer, says €The biggest one of course is that they're removing the requirement that caregivers have to live in the home with their employer in order to qualify, which is€¦ it's an enormous change and it's going to be very, very beneficial for the caregivers.€
€Hmm€ Joyce sighed as I pointed out the statement made by Chantal to the ladies. €Yea, they are not looking at the big picture - now I have to pay rent, buy food and pay for transportation on the same salary.€
I drew the ladies attention to the fact that the new changes brought the opportunity of faster reunification and for the first time I saw a smile on Maria's face, her eyes lit up. €That part I like,€ she said in an almost childlike voice. €I want my girls to come to Canada, there are so many opportunities here for them, my husband could get a good job and I would go back to school.€
Over the last few years, the Government of Canada has made several changes to the Caregiver programs, including making open work permits available to live-in caregivers immediately upon applying for permanent residence, and changing the amount of time it takes for a caregiver to complete the work requirement from three years to four, adopting a standardized employment contract for live-in caregivers that defines the employer's obligations to the caregiver and arranging emergency processing of new work permits for caregivers who have been abused and need to leave their employment urgently.
So while it seems the program will be keeping the name - €Live-in Caregiver,€ - Caregivers can now live outside the residence of their employer without repercussion.
