Caregivers Action Centre

Many barriers still exist for Care Workers in new program

A new caregiver program opened for applications on June 18, 2019. The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot includes big changes that we have been working together to win for many years. But there are problems in the new program that still make it hard for migrant Care Workers to come, work and stay in Canada.

A fact sheet with information about the new program is now available here.

How it works

  • Care workers will apply for permanent residence before coming to Canada. Work permits will be issued for Care Workers if they fulfill all the requirements. 
  • If Care Workers fulfill all the requirements for permanent residence, they will come to Canada on work permits. After working for 24 months, Care Workers will get Permanent Residence. 
  • Care Workers can bring their families with them when coming to Canada (except Quebec). Spouses will be given open work permits, while children will get a student visa.
  • Care Workers will get a work permit that allows them to change employers within the same occupation. The work permit is no longer employer-specific, which means Care Workers will be able to change employers as long as they continue to work as in-home child care or home support workers.

What needs to change?

Overall, this new program keeps the temporary work permit system in place. The pathway to permanent residency (PR) under the new program still requires 24 months of service within 3 years. And, this service needs to be in the same stream. Migrant care work is permanent work, and requires a permanent solution. Migrant care workers must be able to come to Canada with permanent resident status on arrival. 

The following changes are needed to the new program:

  • The requirement for a work permit and permanent residence is an English language test of CLB level 5. This benchmark is higher compared to the requirements under the past caregiver program. Many Care Workers who are already working in Canada have reported this language level is a barrier to accessing permanent residency. English language requirements should be kept at CLB Level 3.
  • The requirement for a work permit and permanent residence is 1 year Canadian post-secondary education or its equivalent. This will exclude many Care Workers, including those already working in Canada. Educational requirements should be kept at high school.
  • Accompanying children will only be issued study permits. This means that they will not be able to work, no matter what their age. All accompanying family members must be given study and work permits. 
  • Care worker families are broader than just spouses and children. They include grandparents, siblings and other relatives who are sometimes primary caregivers in the family instead of or in addition to spouses. Dependent children are of varying ages and there should be no age limit. The definition of family must be expanded and Care workers must have the ability to choose when their families join them.

What if I’m already in Canada?

For Care Workers already in Canada, you may choose to switch to the new program. If so, you will have to submit all the requirements for the new program before you are given a new occupation-specific open work permit. 

If you have been without status for 3 months or less, you may apply for a bridging work permit while you put in your application for the new program. 

You may also choose to continue working with your current work permit. In this case, if you need to find a new employer they will still be required to get an LMIA.

We have called for Care workers already in Canada to be granted occupational specific work permits immediately. The government has now clearly recognized that employer specific work permits create conditions of abuse, there is no reason for them to be continued for workers already here.

The full fact sheet about the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot is available here.

When the new program was announced, Care Worker groups from across the country responded. Read their June 15, 2019 response here.

MEDIA RELEASE : Migrant Care Workers Claim Partial Victory, Continue to Demand Landed Status On Arrival

June 15, 2019

TORONTO — Migrant Care Worker groups from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec welcome changes announced today that finally allow care workers to bring their families and work without work permits tied to employers. These changes respond, in part, to what care workers have been demanding for years. But this victory falls short of the permanent resident status on arrival that is necessary for migrant care workers to be treated the same as others through our immigration system. Many questions and concerns remain about the implementation of the changes announced today, particularly for migrant care workers already in Canada who will continue to be left out. Migrant workers across Canada are taking action on June 16, 2019 for International Domestic Workers Day, see list of events here.

“Today’s announcement is a result of care workers fighting for our rights for decades, it’s a tremendous victory and testament to our organizing and it’s not enough. Migrant care workers take care of families, and have been for centuries, this is a permanent program with a permanent solution and that means permanent resident status upon arrival for future workers, and full immigration status for all migrant workers already in the country, particularly those who have become undocumented. We particularly need changes for workers already in the country, which means removing arbitrary and unnecessary language and educational requirements, and granting open work permits to all.”
– Kara Manso, Landed Status Now Campaign, Care worker, Caregivers Action Centre

New Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Pilot Program & Changes Needed

The new pilot program will come into force on June 18th, 2019. Care workers will have to demonstrate 1 year of post-secondary education, CLB level 5, and a job offer in Canada to apply. They along with their spouses and children will be vetted in advance of arrival to Canada. Upon arrival, the care worker will receive an occupation specific work permit, spouses will receive an open work permit, and children will receive study permits. Only after completion of 24 months of service, will care workers and their families be able to apply for permanent resident status.

Care workers have long demanded the creation of non-LMIA specific work permits, and the ability for families to accompany workers – the addition of these in today’s announcement is a victory.

Care workers demand:

  • English language requirements should be kept at CLB Level 3, and educational requirements should be kept at high school. The Interim Program (see below) was created because CLB Level 5 and post-secondary educational requirements were impossible for most care workers, and unnecessary to work or live or succeed in Canada. They should not be re-introduced. These increased requirements will shut out skilled care workers who do not have the money to pay for the education and English language training.
  • Care workers already in Canada should be granted occupational specific work permits immediately. The government has now clearly recognized that employer specific work permits creates conditions of abuse, there is no reason for them to be continued for workers already here.
  • Migrant care workers must be able to come to Canada with permanent resident status on arrival and with their families. Migrant care work is permanent work, and requires a permanent solution, not another pilot program. Requiring 24 months of service before granting permanent resident status gives enormous power to employers which opens up the possibility of exploitation and abuse.
  • The definition of the family unit must be inclusive, and children must be able to get work permits and pay domestic tuition fees. Care worker families include grandparents, siblings and other relatives who are sometimes primary carers in the family instead of or in addition to spouses – families should be expanded from just spouse and children. Dependent children are of varying ages and there should be no age limit. Accompanying children must be allowed work permits (not just study permits) and be allowed to pay domestic tuition fees. Care workers must have the ability to choose when their families join them.
  • There should be no second medical examination
  • Care Workers in Quebec continue to be left in limbo. Coordinate with Quebec-based Care Worker groups and the Government of Quebec to ensure this program is extended and includes workers based there.

Interim Pathway & Changes Needed

The Interim Pathway created on March 4th and which expired on June 4th is now being extended from July 8th to October 8th. This Interim Pathway was created in response to the arbitrary, unfair and unnecessary requirements that were created in November 2014, which left tens of thousands of racialized workers without a path to permanent residency, needing to choose between deportation and becoming undocumented.

  • The Interim Pathway lowered service requirement from 24 months to 12 months
  • The Interim Pathway lowered educational requirements from 1 year post-secondary education to high school education.
  • The Interim Pathway kept the arbitrary CLB Level 5 requirement, even though only CLB Level 3 is required or necessary to work in Canada.

While the extension of the program is a Care Worker demand, and opens up the opportunity for some workers to apply, Care Workers continue to demand:

  • Expand the Interim Pathway to all workers including undocumented workers who came to Canada under the 2014 Pilot Caregiver program (i.e., grandfather all current caregivers in the program under the Interim Pathway). For those without enough service accumulated, ensure workers can be grandfathered into the new 2019 Caregiver Pilot Program;
  • Allow Care Workers to apply if they have worked in Canada for 12 months, even if the work was done without a work permit; Care Workers should not have to bear the costs of the unworkable LMIA permits
  • Reduce the required language level to CLB Level 3. Without this change thousands of workers face becoming undocumented;
  • Remove requirement for second medical examination as was previously the law; and,
  • An Interim Pathway for Quebec be created in coordination with Quebec-based Care Worker groups and the Government of Quebec. Since the creation of the Interim Pathway many Quebec based workers have been forced to move out of the province to apply for this program creating mass displacement.

Federal Workers Program

Landed Status Now demands the creation of a Federal Care Worker Program that provides landed status upon entry for Care Workers and our families. Care Workers should be able to seek employment in Canada through the national job bank. Employers seeking Care Workers can use the job bank to find care worker employees. This would take away the need for third-party recruiters / job agencies and the thousands of dollars they charge care workers to get a job.

Landed Status Now: Care Workers Organize (www.LandedStatusNow.ca) is a national coalition including Caregivers Action Centre (Toronto); Caregivers Connection (Toronto); Alberta Careworkers Association (Edmonton); Migrante Alberta; Migrante BC, Migrante Canada; Migrante Ottawa; PINAY Quebec; Immigrant Workers Centre (Montreal); Association for the Rights of Household Workers (Montreal), Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregiver Rights (Vancouver), and Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (Canada).

Media Contacts: Kara Manso – 647-782-6633 – Caregivers Action Centre, Toronto; Martha Ocampo – 416-560-0940 – Caregiver Connections (CCESO), Toronto; Lorina Serafico – 604- 618-3649 – Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights, Vancouver; Chris Sorio – 416-828-0441 – Migrante BC, Vancouver; Evelyn Mondonedo – 514 238 9989 – PINAY Quebec, Montreal; Cynthia Palmaria – 780-937-5908 – Migrante Alberta, Edmonton

New Interim Pathway to permanent residency leaving too many Care Workers behind

As a result of Care Worker organizing, the Federal government has created an Interim Pathway to provide Care Workers already here with a pathway to permanent residency, and announced a new Caregiver Pilot Program for those that will come in the future. The Interim Pathway is a step in the right direction, but unless modified, it will be inaccessible to significant numbers of Care Workers currently in Canada.

IRCC introduced the Interim Pathway because of the problems Care Workers faced meeting requirements for permanent residency under the 2014 Caregiver Program 5-year Pilot Project.

The application window for the Interim Pathway is very short. It is only open from March 4 to June 4, 2019.

To be eligible for the Interim Pathway, Care Workers need to meet these requirements:

  • 1 year work experience in Canada under the Caregiver Program since November 2014
  • Valid status in Canada
  • Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5
  • Education equivalent to a Canadian secondary diploma
  • Plan to live outside the province of Quebec

For more information, please read our Interim Pathway Factsheet.

Care Worker groups across Canada have conducted several information sessions about the Interim Pathway for Care Workers. These sessions were attended by 71 Care Workers in Montreal, 125 in Toronto, and 77 in Vancouver. In total, feedback was received by 273 Care Workers at these information sessions.

These Care Workers identified many barriers to accessing the pathway:

  1. The window for applications for the Interim Pathway is too short. In Toronto, 54% of Care Workers we received feedback from reported that preparing an application before June 4, 2019 would be challenging. This is due to the precariousness of their working conditions and inability to take a day off during the week. It also leaves very limited time to meet all their requirements, which involves gathering documents from inside Canada and their own home country. The government should consider these factors and extend the window for applications.
  2. Care Workers have reported difficulty acquiring documents from their employers (e.g. Record of Employment (ROE), T4s, letters of employment). Some workers report that former employers have no interest in providing the necessary documentation and face no repercussions for not doing so. Others, still with their employer, report that their employers are resisting providing necessary documentation because employers  fear losing control over them. In Vancouver, 89% of Care Workers reported difficulty acquiring documents from their employers.
  3. The Interim Pathway excludes Care Workers who became undocumented.
    Care Workers fall out of status when they face barriers finding a new employer or face delays in processing time for Labour market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) required to start work with a new employer.
  4. Many Care workers have not finished 12 months of official service because: 
    • They arrived in Canada within the past year.
    • The employer does not honour the contract and releases workers when they arrive.
    • Long processing times for LMIAs and work permits when Care Workers change jobs or lose their jobs.
  5. The language test is set to a higher level benchmark compared to requirements for the Caregiver Program. The short window for application limits their time to prepare for the exam, resulting in some workers failing the exam. Across all three cities, 50% of Care Workers we received feedback from reported the required language level as a barrier. Many Care Workers are anxiously waiting for their results, and if they do not meet the required CLB level 5, they might not have enough time to retake the exam. Aside from the high benchmark, the exam is also expensive ($280 to $319 for each time the exam is taken).
  6. The Educational Credential Assessment has a long processing time with no assurance of the result. Due to the high volume of evaluation requests, one of the evaluating agencies has informed Care Workers that it will take them longer to get results. Previously it had a processing time of 4 weeks and recently increased it to 7 weeks. Care Workers are reporting prolonged wait times. This is stressful for Care Workers because educational credential assessment results have varied from agency to agency, even for Care Workers with the same educational background.
  7. The Interim Pathway excludes Care Workers in Quebec who wish to remain in the province. Care Workers consulted in Montreal are concerned about being excluded. They are now forced to make a very difficult decision to leave behind any social ties they have built in Quebec while working as a Care Worker. If they want to apply for the pathway, they will have to demonstrate their commitment to leave Quebec by providing a job offer or copy of a housing lease outside the province.
  8. The medical exam was put back in place as a part of the permanent residency application. The exam had previously only been required upon entry into the Live-in Caregiver Program. But now Care Workers must get a second medical exam after their service when applying for PR. This will be a barrier for any Care Workers who acquired health conditions or illness while working in Canada due to difficult working conditions. Care Workers with a family member who has a disability or illness may also be excluded if the annual medical costs to care for that family member exceeds $19,965.
  9. The cost of applying for Interim Pathway is too expensive. Care Workers will have to spend significant amounts on fees. The cost could range from $1,845 to $5,000. This includes fees for the PR application, biometric requirements, medical exam, police certificate, language test, and educational credential assessment. The cost will also vary depending on how many family members a Care Worker has. These costs are prohibitive for low-wage Care workers.

Migrant Care Workers across Canada have come together to unite our voices and be part of the Landed Status Now: Care Workers Organize Campaign. Migrant Care Workers make a tremendous contribution to Canadian society. We deserve the right to stay in Canada with rights and access to services, rather than be forced to become undocumented.

We call on the federal government to amend the Interim Pathway wherein:

  • Expand the Interim Pathway to all workers who came to Canada under the 2014 Pilot Caregiver program (i.e., grandfather all current caregivers in the program under the Interim Pathway). For those without enough service accumulated, ensure  workers can be grandfathered into the new 2019 Caregiver Pilot Program;
  • The 12-month service requirement allow for care work done without LMIA and work permits;
  • Workers that have become undocumented are eligible to apply;
  • The language requirement is reduced. Care Workers came to Canada with a required language level of CLB Level 3. Therefore, the language requirement for permanent residence should remain at Level 3, and not be increased to Level 5. With the extremely limited application window, if workers do not score at Level 5 in the first attempt, they may not be able to retake the test in time;
  • The second medical examination is removed; and
  • An Interim Pathway for Quebec be created in coordination with Quebec-based Care Worker groups and the Government of Quebec.

Join us to help make Care Workers voices heard. Sign to be part of our organizing at www.LandedStatusNow.ca.

Caregivers: What you need to know about the new immigration announcement!

Caregivers organized and we won! This is OUR VICTORY. It means, if we keep raising our voices, we can get even more!

On February 23, 2019, the government announced a new caregiver program. The new program will give Care Workers open work permits (for the caregiver sector) so we can change employers more easily. We will have the right to bring our spouses and children when we come to Canada to work as Care Workers. In the new program, there will be a pathway to permanent residency after two years of services as a Care Worker.

For Care Workers that are working in Canada now, there will be a new Interim Pathway PR application program for workers under the LCP and Caregiver Program. Some Care Workers will be able to apply with 12 months of services (instead of 24). The educational and English requirements for this small program are also lower.

IMPORTANT: If you are a Caregiver in Toronto who had difficulty getting PR, get in touch with us! Text / WhatsApp: 647-782-6633. If you are outside of Toronto, email info@migrantworkersalliance.org with your city and you will be connected to a group closest to you.

We welcome the newly announced Caregiver Program. It is a direct response to the Landed Status Now (www.LandedStatusNow.ca) campaign and our decades of organizing before that.  

While we recognize the gains, the new programs do not go far enough. We still don’t have permanent resident status on arrival which is needed to get at the cause of exploitation in our work. We remain united in calling for permanent resident status on arrival for all migrant workers.

We outline the main changes below. There are still many questions on the details of the program that we need to find out about.  

FOR CAREGIVERS COMING INTO CANADA IN THE FUTURE

What we know:

Two new 5-year pilot projects will be announced soon for Home Child Care Providers and Home Support Workers.

When these projects come into place, Care Workers coming to Canada will:  

  • Get open work permits to work as Home child care or support workers. This will let workers change jobs quickly if necessary.
  • Care Workers can come to Canada with their families. Spouse / common-law partners will get open work permits and dependent children will get study permits.
  • Care Workers will have to meet qualifications for Permanent Residency before they will be approved for the program and before they come to work in Canada.
  • Once a Care Worker has 2 years of work service under the Home Care Child Provider or Home Support Worker program, they will have a direct pathway to permanent residency.

What we don’t know:

  • What are the criteria or qualifications Care Workers will need under the new program to qualify for permanent residency?
  • When will the program come into effect?
  • Will children of Care Workers have to pay international fees for school? Will the families get healthcare and housing support?
  • How will the processing take place for workers who are abroad?

FOR SOME CAREGIVERS IN CANADA NOW

What we know

The government says it heard from Care Workers that the current program is unfair. Too many Care Workers have worked under the Caregiver Program yet don’t qualify for permanent residence. It has created a new Interim Pathway for Care Workers facing problems qualifying for PR.

You can apply for PR between March and June 4, 2019 if you meet the following criteria:

  • You have at least one year of work experience since November 2014 under the Caring for people with high medical needs or Caring for children program or a mix or service under both programs.
  • You have English or French language skills level CBL 5 (Canadian Language Benchmark). You must have taken an approved language test.
  • You must have a valid work permit; have applied to extend your work permit; or, have applied to restore your status as a worker.
  • You have education equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma (reduced from one-year secondary education credential).

What we don’t know

  • What about workers who have lost their work permits?
  • Is there support for workers to apply?
  • What about workers who can’t apply in the 3 month window?

We will continue to work to find out details of the new programs and how to help workers currently in Canada.  

For information:
Caregivers’ Action Centre 647-782-6633
Landed Status Now! Care Workers Organize

Care Workers: We are getting organized!

A report back for current and former Caregivers

Care Workers in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Montreal came together on Sunday, November 18, 2018, to tell the government to give us our rights. We spoke to the media and released a report with personal stories calling on Canada to treat Care Work with respect and dignity. We are not alone, 14 Care Worker organizations have come together to work in preparation for this campaign. We call ourselves “Landed Status Now: Care Workers Organize!” We will be doing several actions as Care Workers to get the government to do what we need them to do.

Below is how we got here – you can be part of this movement! Click here to share your information with us and we will contact you!.

 

10 things you need to know about the Landed Status Now! Campaign

1. Why are we calling ourselves Care Workers, not Caregivers? Care Workers have been coming to Canada over a century. We want Care Workers to be recognized for the work and the skills that we do. We are workers, not givers. Landed Status Now! Calls on the government of Canada to make better laws for migrant Care Workers. We want to come with Permanent Residency together with our families, just like everybody else. We want changes to workers already in Canada. See the Care Worker Fact Sheet here to see what we are asking for.

2. This ask is nothing new. Care Workers have been calling on the government for Landed Status since the 70s. When we started in the 70s, we had no path to PR. By asking for Landed Status – we were able to get a path. We have to ask for what we really want, always.  Care Workers in the past have pushed for this demand and led the way for us to be here right now. They have fought for us, now is our time to fight for all of us now and for the Care Workers to come. Together we can make this possible.

 

 

Here’s a photo of Care Workers from 1981 calling for Landed Status Now! – just like us.

 

3. Why now? The Caregiver program introduced in 2014 is expiring soon! There has been no replacement announced and we want to know what is going to happen to us, Care Workers. We deserve fairness. A lot of Care Workers are in the backlog and in the LCP, who have not gotten our papers – we too need our rights. We want the government to change the rules so that all of us get permanent residency and can call Canada our home. We believe no one should be left behind! Read here what we are asking for. We, Care Workers, are the leaders of this movement. This is our campaign.

4. How did we get here? Even though the ask has been around since the 1980s, Care Worker groups across Canada re-started our work in late 2017. First, we had meetings of Care Workers. Here’s a photo from one in February in Toronto – discussing what we want. A lot of issues came up and together we discussed that the only solution is Permanent Residency on Arrival together with our families.

Care Unity Meeting in Toronto, February 2018

5. Then we met with the government and told them what we wanted. These meetings took place across the country. We also gave the government a detailed policy report. Report link

6. We had more meetings. Care Workers reached out to other Care Workers in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and other places. We decided to do outreach in parks, churches, community centres and invited them to meetings and gatherings, where Care Workers ourselves shared our experiences in the program and how the new rules made it harder for us to stay in Canada. We did Mothers’ Day celebrations – here’s us in the media (Vancouver, Toronto )

7. We did a survey to workers to decide together what we wanted. From the survey, we heard that Care Workers across Canada wanted Landed Status Now.

8. We wrote a report – that report is here. We released that report with personal stories in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Montreal came together on Sunday, November 18, 2018, to tell the government to give us our rights.   Now the government is paying attention – look at Trudeau being asked to respond.

9. Creating a new permanent program with Landed Status on arrival is necessary for ensuring decent work, fairness and equality in the laws and policies of the country. Most people have the ability to change jobs, when they have a bad employer, or celebrate their children’s birthday, or sit by their parent’s bedside when they are ill. These are basic human rights and that’s all Care Workers are asking for. We deserve landed status now and be united with our families. We are not doing it just for ourselves – we provide care! And giving us our rights means better healthcare for everyone.

We are not doing this just for ourselves. We believe ALL migrants, including refugees, agricultural workers, students, and undocumented people should have landed status. We are stronger together!

10. What’s next? We are just getting started. The fight is not over until we get the rights we deserve. We encourage everyone to join or connect with a local organization to plan together on how to win our rights.

If you are a current or former care worker:

  • Sign the petition at www.LandedStatusNow.ca
  • Tell your friends and let them sign the petition
  • Regular meetings are being held in all the major cities– If you sign the petition, we will get in touch with you tell you where the next one closest to you is.
  • If you are in Toronto, come on Dec. 15, 2018 to 720 Spadina Ave., Suite 202 – email info@caregiversactioncentre.org to RSVP. Event link

More than 1000 people have already joined Migrant Care Workers’ Call for #LandedStatusNow

PLEASE SHARE on social media! And tag #LandedStatusNow and encourage people to sign the petition at www.LandedStatusNow.ca

Migrant Caregivers Call for #StatusNow on Mother’s day

Migrant caregivers took over Yonge-Dundas square, demanding to be treated as humans with full rights, not machines.

In Toronto, migrant caregivers took over Yonge-Dundas Square for Mother’s day on May 13, 2018 in a very successful action. Caregivers donned robot masks with banners, and signs that read #NOTaRobot blocking the major intersection of Yonge-Dundas demanding to be treated as humans with full rights, not machines. The action was organized to call for permanent status on landing for Caregivers. Following this, 10 caregivers in robot masks started a flash mob dancing to the song Beat it by Michael Jackson. They took off the mask mid-performance to signify an end to being treated as robots as they invited other caregivers and allies to join in the performance.

Migrant caregivers are organizing for our rights, join us! Caregivers are invited to come out on May 26th,1-4pm,720 Spadina Ave., Suite 223, Toronto.

“We can’t take care of our own families because we have been separated for years, and that’s why we are calling on the government to give us permanent residency upon arrival and to have their families with them when they get here.” said Caregivers Action Centre organizer Kara Manso.

“We are calling the government to be fair and to listen to us to want we want and what we need,” said Johnalyn Firmeza, a mother of two children, who moved to Canada in January 2004 and worked as a Live-in Caregiver. She is an active member of Caregiver Connections Education and Support Organization (CCESO).

“Now the government is trying to change the program and we want them to listen to us, those who live this life, and give us all permanent status right now.” said Maria Teresa Mercado Loaiza from Bolivia, to those gathered. She has been working in Canada as a caregiver since 2015.

Caregivers across Canada are united in demanding an open and transparent consultation process that prioritizes the voices and demands of caregivers.

“We have been fighting for better working conditions and we continue to fight for us, we have always been there fighting for you. Now is the time that you fight for us too! Together, we will win!” said Winnie Nyokabi to allies. Winnie is a caregiver from Kenya, also a Caregivers Action Centre member.

This action was co-organized by Caregivers Action Centre and Caregiver Connections Education and Support Organization (CCESO). It was supported by Migrante Canada, Migrante Ontario, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, No One Is Illegal – Toronto, Justice for Migrant Workers, Workers Action Centre and others.Caregiver Connections Education and Support Organization (CCESO) were among the groups present at the action to show solidarity as four caregivers spoke out.

Dozens of migrant caregivers were part of this action in Toronto. A cross country Day of Action with caregivers taking it to the streets in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia also happened at the same time. These actions took place as the federal government is quietly and secretly planning to change the Caregiver Program, set to expire in November 2019.

Here are links to the news coverage:

Toronto

CBC News: Migrant caregivers make Mother’s Day plea for permanent residency

Radio Canada: Family caregivers organize flash mobs to demand permanent residence

– CTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZV3vWFHKgc

– Ming Pao: http://www.mingpaocanada.com/Tor/htm/News/20180514/tbe1_r.htm

– Photos: Migrant caregivers call for #statusnow on #mothersday

Let us continue organizing! Together we will win! Join us at our New Members meeting at Caregivers Action Centre.

 

You can see our full report CAC Submission Caregiver Program Consultation 2018, submitted on behalf of Caregivers Action Centre and the following groups:

Association for the Rights of Household Workers (ARHW), Alberta Caregivers Association, Caregiver Connections Education and Support Organization (CCESO), Eto Tayong Caregivers (ETC), Filipino Canadian Advocacy Network, Immigrant Workers Centre, InterPares, Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan, Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregiver Rights, GABRIELA Ontario, Migrant Mothers Project, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, Migrant Workers Rights Canada, Migrante Alberta, Migrante Ontario, and PINAY Quebec.

 

Special Mother’s Day Celebration

Sunday, May 13th, 2:00pm @ Yonge-Dundas Square

 
WE CARE FOR YOU, SHOW SOME CARE FOR US!

We, the migrant caregivers who come to Canada to take care of the country’s children, elders, and people with disabilities, deserve to be cared for. We deserve to come to Canada with our families and permanent resident status. We do vital work that allows this society to function.

This Mother’s Day, we are inviting all current and former live-in and live-out caregivers, and those who want to show us appreciation, to a celebration at Yonge-Dundas Square. 

Caregivers: come ready to get spoiled, to meet with other caregivers, learn about what the federal government is doing, and get support. We will have surprise performances, gifts, opportunities for learning, snacks and beverages, and a lot of fun!

Friends/allies: bring a token of appreciation for a caregiver to show that you value caregiving work. Get in touch with the organizers to see how else you can contribute info@caregiversactioncentre.org.

If you are a caregiver and you would like to get involved in advance, please contact us at info@caregiversactioncentre.org or at 647-782-6633.

This event is co-hosted by Caregivers Action Centre (CAC) and Caregiver Connections Education and Support Organization (CCESO).

This Mother’s Day Celebration is part of a National Day of Action, where caregivers will be gathering together in cities across the country. The National Day of Action is co-organized by the Association for the Rights of Household Workers (Montreal), Caregivers Action Centre (Toronto), CCESO (Toronto), Filipino Canadian Advocacy Network, Filipino Workers Network BC, GABRIELA Ontario, Migrante Alberta, Migrante BC, Migrant Workers Centre (Vancouver, formerly West Coast Domestic Workers Association), Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers’ and Caregivers’ Rights (CDWCR), and Victoria Filipino Canadian Association.

Policy Submission: Caregivers Call for Landed Status on Arrival

Caregivers Action Centre, in collaboration with several Caregiver Organizations across the country, participated in recent Federal Consultations about the Caregiver Program. What we are hearing from caregivers across Canada, and what we have been hearing for decades, is that caregivers need to be able to come here with their families and Permanent Residency from day 1. We submitted the following policy recommendations to the Federal Government for them to review before putting any new policies in place. We will continue to mobilize and push for change so that all migrant caregivers can come here and stay here with their families, and have access to decent and dignified work and lives. You can see our full report CAC Submission Caregiver Program Consultation 2018, submitted on behalf of Caregivers Action Centre and the following groups:

Association for the Rights of Household Workers (ARHW), Alberta Caregivers Association, Caregiver Connections Education and Support Organization (CCESO), Eto Tayong Caregivers (ETC), Filipino Canadian Advocacy Network, Immigrant Workers Centre, InterPares, Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan, Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregiver Rights, GABRIELA Ontario, Migrant Mothers Project, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, Migrant Workers Rights Canada, Migrante Alberta, Migrante Ontario, and PINAY Quebec.

National Call for Comprehensive Review of Caregiver Program

March 21, 2018

Caregiver Organizations across the country called on the Federal Government to conduct an open and transparent consultation process on the Caregiver Program that centres the voices of Caregivers. You can see the full Letter for Comprehensive Review CP 2018, or read it below.

____________________________________________________________________________

Dear Minister,

We, the undersigned, constitute a diverse group of community organizations from across the country dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights of migrant caregivers. We wish to address the government’s recent decision to launch a review of the caregiver pathways to permanent residency, the Caring for Children pathway and the Caring for People with High Medical Needs pathway. We are pleased to hear that a review is currently being conducted and that the government is committed to ensuring that caregivers continue to have access to permanent residency. However, we want to ensure a comprehensive consultation process that centres on those directly affected by the program, and any changes to it. As such, we are asking for the review process to be open to the public and transparent, and for caregivers to be consulted. We also want to ensure that the timelines and plans for the consultations and policy development be clearly laid out from the get-go, and that caregiver and advocate voices  be involved at every step. Many of the organizations and individual signatories to this letter have been individually invited to private consultations with the government. While we welcome the opportunity to have our voices heard, we must insist that this process be formalized and inclusive.

The need for a comprehensive review of the caregiver pathways cannot be understated. The 2014 reform of the Live-in Caregiver Program exacerbated the problems associated with that program, while the new pathways created hurdles which have unfairly prevented many caregivers from transitioning to permanent residency. Considering the invaluable contribution made by migrant caregivers to Canadian society and the economy as a whole, the growing demand for their services and, most importantly, their never-ending struggle to have their rights respected in Canada, the time to enact a fair and just immigration policy for these workers is long overdue. This can only be achieved if the government is actively engaged with migrant caregivers themselves and caregiver advocacy groups.

As such, we are requesting that the review include a formal, transparent and accessible process on the following issues:

  • The establishment of a fair and just permanent residency policy for all migrant caregivers;
  • Improving family unity for caregivers and their families;
  • Fair and reasonable transitional measures for caregivers who are working under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and may not be eligible for permanent residency due to the November 29, 2019 deadline.

In order for migrant caregivers to have the opportunity to fully participate in the consultation process, we ask that the government take into full consideration their demanding work schedules. We recommend that consultations take place on weekends and are announced with adequate notice to allow caregivers to make scheduling arrangements. Importantly, this would require that the public consultations and written submissions extend past the April 6th deadline set by IRCC. Finally, consultations should be held in all of the provinces and territories across Canada

Respectfully,

Anna Malla, Organizer, Caregivers Action Centre

Annette Beech, VFCCA Representative, Victoria Filipino Canadian Association

Ethel Tungohan, GABRIELA Ontario

Hannah Deegan, Project coordinator Association pour la Défense des Droits du Personnel Domestique (ADDPD)/Association for the Rights of Household Workers (ARHW)

Leah Evangelista Woolner, Vice-Chair, PINAY (Filipino Women’s Organization in Quebec)

Martha Ocampo, Caregiver Connections Education and Support Organization (CCESO)

Natalie Drolet, Staff Lawyer/Executive Director, Migrant Workers Centre

Syed Hussan, Coordinator, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change