On the 3rd of June, 2024, Canada announced that it would be launching enhanced pilot programs that will guarantee free visa sponsorship to all foreign caregivers that will be recruited throughout the period of the program.
This visa will be a Permanent Residence (PR) visa which will be issued to eligible individuals on their entry to the country. With this visa, they will be able to work in the North American nation on a permanent basis without worrying about how long it is valid for, and when it will expire.
The announcement was made by the nation’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Honourable Marc Miller in Toronto.
During the announcement of the pilot programs, He said, “Caregivers play a critical role in supporting Canadian families, and our programs need to reflect their invaluable contributions. As we work to implement a permanent caregivers program, these two new pilots will not only improve support for caregivers but also provide families with the quality care they deserve.”
Furthermore, He stressed the importance of caregivers to a large part of the Canadian population which also includes children, the elderly, and those in need of special care and support to go about daily activities.
The Minister of Small Business in Canada, Honourable Rechie Valdez, speaking further on the introduction of the immigration pathway highlighted how important caregivers have been to Canadian families and how these programs are a way of the Government giving them back the care and support they deserve.
In the course of the announcement of these pilot programs, a few criteria were listed that those interested must meet before they can be eligible to apply. These criteria include:
• Basic Level 4 Proficiency In Canadian Benchmark Languages: The major languages spoken in Canada are English and French, so all interested applicants must be able to attain at least level 4 proficiency in these languages which will enable them to properly communicate with those who need care and support.
• Canadian High School Diploma Equivalent: To apply, an individual needs to hold a Canadian High School Diploma or a credential that is equal to it.
For applicants living in African countries like Nigeria or Ghana, the credentials that are equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma are WAEC and NECO certificates. So, they must ensure they have at least one of them to be eligible.
• Relevant and Recent Work Experience: Another box applicants need to tick to be able to apply for these pilot programs is recent experience in caregiving, and verifiable proof to show for it.
For example, offering care and support to your sick child, aged grandparent, or disabled sibling, can serve as a caregiving experience but it doesn’t count as official and credible, and can’t be verified. Hence, applicants are advised to get relevant experience through a formal caregiving job or internship.
• A Job Offer from a Care Home: The last eligibility requirement for these pilot programs is to get a job offer from either a care home, whether it is a private home or a care home organization.
Although more information on the full eligibility criteria and application process will be revealed over time, ticking these four boxes should be the priority of interested applicants for now, as they await further instructions.
However, all interested foreign caregivers must bear in mind that the available slots for this PR Visa program are just 15,000, so if they want to be part of the numbers, they need to get right into getting these four requirements sorted while waiting for further updates.
Those who are interested to apply but have little or no caregiver experience, can do so by enrolling for a caregiving program right away with a registered training provider like Clarion College and start taking positive steps towards becoming certified in the field and getting the experience and knowledge they need to be a part of these pilot programs.
Culled: Business Day
