April 15, 2021 – Ottawa – Caregivers abroad play an important role in supporting Canadian families who are unable to get the help they need for a family member in Canada. The global COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted life in Canada and around the world, including the processing of applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). We recognize that many caregivers working in Canada are anxious to reunite with their loved ones, and for that to be possible, their request must be processed.
That’s why IRCC is working to overcome the pandemic hurdles that have hampered the processing of caregivers and their families’ applications by announcing a treatment plan for 2021.
As part of this plan, IRCC:
- process permanent resident applications of up to 6,000 caregivers who have completed their hours of Canadian work experience, and those of their immediate family members, by December 31, 2021;
- make at least 1,500 first-level decisions on Home Child Care Pilot and Home Caregiver Pilot applications by June 30, 2021;
- Prioritizing these decisions will allow more caregiver work permits to be issued to those with valid job offers to work with families in Canada.
- increase the digitization of caregiver applications;
- ensure applicants receive acknowledgment letters by May 31, 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges in processing claims, particularly paper claims. Due to reduced capacity, followed by office closures that resulted in an increase in the number of employees working remotely, IRCC only entered as many of the applications received by mail during 2020 as possible into its system. case management. Therefore, a new public interest policy is being established so that IRCC can process in 2021 the requests that were received in 2020.
“The pandemic has disrupted the lives of people in Canada and around the world, and the country’s immigration processes have been no exception. Immigrant caregivers, who care for our families and seniors, are often separated from their own families, and the pandemic has significantly slowed down the processing of permanent residence applications, leaving them separated from their families for longer than this. that we would have liked. With today’s announcement, we’re getting caregiver immigration back on track and helping frontline heroes reunite with their loved ones. – The Honorable Marco EL Mendicino, PC, MP, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
The Home Caregiver Pilot Program and the Home Caregiver Pilot Program were launched in 2019. They provide for a clear transition from temporary to permanent status for caregivers as well as work permits that are linked to a given profession instead of being linked to a given employer. They also provide the opportunity for caregivers and their families to settle in Canada as they gain work experience. Interest in these pilot programs suggests that they have attractive features for caregivers and Canadian families who require home care for a family member.
–
