Migrant care workers, we won many of our demands, but too many of us are excluded! Last week, the federal government announced a new PR program, and updates about the backlog and the pilot program. These changes happened because migrant care workers got noisy! We signed petitions, spoke in the media and on social media. But we know that if the government did this, they can do more. No more partial solutions! Keep organizing and calling for full and permanent immigration status for all now! We can get the government to make even better rules.
Right now, the government wants to cool us down, but the truth is that we can’t. We need to keep getting louder for status for all!
Two years ago, the government announced that they will fix problems for us care workers when they created the Interim Pathway Program. But nothing was fixed – all it did was create a backlog. Now again they have made new announcements, but we still don’t have PR and continue to be separated from our families. We cannot stop being noisy until we ALL have PR for us and our families.
With the announcement of the new PR program, many of us are panicking. We are searching for English exams, trying to get documents from back home, and it’s creating a lot of stress. So here’s a quick summary of what you need to know and do:
- If you already applied for PR under the Interim Pathway Program (and completed 12 months of work) or under the other two caregiver pilot programs (and have completed 24 months of work), do not reapply under the new PR program announced on April 14th.
- The government has announced that they will clear the backlog and the new PR program won’t get you PR faster. But the government has only promised to process 6000 applications by the end of the year, even though there are over 12,000 applications already in the backlog! So even with this promise, we have to wait. Many of us still don’t have open work permits. We must continue to call for PR for all of us.
- If you are a Home Support Worker who hasn’t applied for PR and you have CLB Level 5 and the educational accreditation, you should apply under the current Home Support Worker Pilot Program.
- This is because the new PR program announced on April 14th is small and spots will fill up quickly. This program is not just for migrant care workers, but also for other essential workers. It is many people’s only chance at getting PR and being reunited with their families, so if you don’t need to apply, then don’t. For the Home Support Worker Pilot Program, the government announced that 516 out of 2750 applications have been made so far in 2021, so you are safer applying under the Home Support Worker Pilot Program. But we know getting PR is difficult, and we are still being mistreated at work, so we must keep fighting for status for all!
- If you don’t have the educational accreditation OR you are unable to get past CLB Level 4 OR you are a Home Child Care Worker and have 12 months of work experience, you should try to apply through the new PR program announced on April 14th. Click here to see if you are eligible for the new PR program and learn how to apply.
- But you should know that there are only 50,000 spots in the new PR program and hundreds of thousands of people will be trying to apply. Many of us are having issues booking our English test because the IELTS and CELPIP websites have crashed or spots are filling up. Some of us don’t have valid work permits or implied status, have lost our immigration status or are having problems finding a job – which means we may not qualify for this program. Even if you are eligible, keep raising your voice for landed status for ALL.
- The new PR program will open on May 6th and will be open until the spots are full or until the cap is met.
- The government also announced that as of April 30th, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program has reached its cap of 2750 applications. Because of this, you should consider applying under the new PR program announced on April 14th if you are eligible.
As you can see, too many of us are excluded. We continue to be tied to our employers and be mistreated. We continue to be separated from our families. All of us want status, so why can some apply and not others? The government promised us PR, so why are we still waiting? Our message is clear: We are done waiting. We will not accept anything less than Status for All NOW! These changes are good, but not good enough, we will keep organizing! Sign our petition: www.LandedStatusNow.ca.
