Good news for foreign caregivers in Canadawho wants to apply for permanent residency status. The government of Canada has implemented shorter procedures in the application of permanent residency of foreign caregivers. Aside from the easier process, Canada has also approved new policies that would protect foreign caregivers from abusive employers.

According to Jason Kenney, Minister of Canadian Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, the new policies in Canada approved the new laws that are favorable to foreign workers in response to reports that some foreign caregivers are maltreated by their Canadian employers.

Kenney said that it is “frustrating” that many live-in caregivers chose to stay in their employer’s home even after completing their work contracts as they still need to wait for the result of their permanent residency status application. The Minister added that in some cases, this set-up resulted to the caregivers being maltreated by their employers

He said, “This is understandably frustrating. That's why we have started issuing open work permits to live-in caregivers as soon as they have completed their obligations and submitted an application for permanent residence.”

The new procedure would now allow foreign caregivers to apply for permanent residency after completing 3900 hours of work. Work hours are used to ensure that overtime work would be recognized. Past procedure require the workers to complete two (2) years of work before they would be eligible to apply for permanent residency. The result for the permanent residency application should also be given in 18 months or less.

A second medical exam for the permanent residency application is also not part of the new requirements. A new standardized employment contract would also be followed to ensure that both the worker and the employer agrees to important work conditions such as salary, work hours, vacation time, overtime, holidays, sick leave, and the terms of termination and resignation.

Furthermore, the new guidelines clearly  states the amount that an employer needs to shoulder in hiring a foreign caregiver such as travel expenses, medial insurance, workplace safety insurance, and third-party representative fees. The employer also need to shoulder the emergency processing of work permits and give employer authorizations to hire live-in caregivers who have been abused and need to leave their employment immediately.Canadahad also set up a special phone service for live-in caregivers so it would be easier for them to ask for help if necessary.

Officials in Canadawould also ensure that all job offers are legitimate by checking the working conditions and accommodations of foreign caregivers. They would also scrutinize the financial standing of the employer to see if they would not have difficult time in giving proper wages of the caregivers.

Employers who have not properly followed the terms of employment of past work contracts will not be allowed to hire foreign workers including caregivers for two years.

The Ambassador of the Philippine Embassy in Canada said that the new labor polices for caregivers shows “the continued trust and confidence of the Canadian society on the skills and dedication to work of Filipinos in general.”