Pinoy groups push harder for landed PR status for caregivers
Pinoy groups push harder for landed PR status for caregivers
Pinoy community crafting recommendations for ongoing LCP review
By Veronica C. Silva
Calls for landed permanent residency status for caregivers are growing louder as there is a perception of a threat to the government policy of granting them immigrant status after meeting certain requirements.
mmunity have recently attended consultation meetings with some government representatives for the ongoing review of the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP).
Some meetings have reportedly been held in key cities across Canada, including Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
The review of the LCP has been expected. In the June 20 announcement of the changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said the government’s next focus of the reforms in the TFW program is the LCP. He added: “Expect plans in that respect to come forward.”
When asked to expound on this, a CIC spokesperson said: “We are always reviewing our immigration programs to ensure that they are working in Canada’s best interests.”
The LCP is part of the TFW program. However, among the streams in the TFW program, only the LCP has a pathway to permanent residency.
Reiterate
In some consultation meetings with the government, some members of the Filipino community were able to reiterate the call for immediate landed status for PR, a demand the Filipino community has been pushing for many years now.
This is in view of recent reports that the pathway to permanent residency may be under threat.
Those who attended the meeting with Alexander last July 23 in Toronto told other members of the Filipino community in another meeting last July 28 that there was a discussion to take away the government’s legal obligation to grant PR status to caregivers.
Julius Tiangson, executive director of The Gateway Centre for New Canadians, and nominee for Conservative Party MP candidacy in Mississauga Centre, was one of those who attended the meeting with Alexander recently in Toronto. Tiangson later facilitated a meeting with other members of the Filipino community last July 28 at the Bathurst-Wilson area. In the latter bigger meeting, some of the matters discussed in consultations with Alexander were shared and discussed. Recommendations for the government were also suggested.
Tiangson said consultations are still ongoing and that a next round of consultations is expected by end of August.
In the meeting with Alexander, also discussed was the tightening of the eligibility requirements in order to obtain PR status, especially in terms of language requirement.
While details of these consultation-meetings still need further clarification, some Filipino stakeholders are already making a stand.
Pura Velasco, former caregiver and member of the Caregivers’ Action Centre, said the Filipino community – and not just caregivers – should together push for this permanent residency status upon arrival.
“It’s about time. … Yan [PR status upon arrival] ang magbibigay ng tunay na push para ang caregiver ay lumakas ang kanilang loob para maipagtanggol ang kanilang mga karapatan dito sa Canada. Kaya, I think, ang community natin dapat magkaisa – hindi lang from the community of caregivers, other sectors from the Filipino community should support that demand, (PR status upon arrival will allow caregivers to muster the courage to protect their rights here in Canada. That’s why I think the community should come together – not just the caregivers but other sectors as well – to support that demand),” said Velasco.
In a meeting in Montreal, Migrante Canada reiterated their call for landed PR status for caregivers and to remove the live-in requirement.
Christopher Sorio, vice-chair, Migrante Canada, said these two recommendations will address the vulnerability of caregivers.
Long-term need
Some who support this landed PR status argued that the demand for live-in caregivers is not temporary. Thus, caregivers should be given permanent status.
“Mahalaga ang permanent residency status para sa mga caregiver kasi hindi temporary ang pangangailangan ng mga Canadian families para sa mga caregivers. Kaya dapat ipagpatuloy nila (government) ang programang ito (The permanent residency status for caregivers is important because the need of Canadian families for caregivers is not temporary. That is why [the government] should continue with this program) – to facilitate the permanent residency of caregivers,” said Pinky Paglingayen, former caregiver and secretary-general, iWWorkers.
Haydee Gho-Lamatiam couldn’t agree more. The mother of a six-year-old and business owner hired a caregiver to take care of her son while she tends her business in the Bathurst area.
“Kung wala sila (caregivers), wala kami. Walang magbabantay ng mga bata, paano kami maka-trabaho, paano kami mabubuhay? (If there are no caregivers, we are helpless. Who will watch over our kids? How can we work? How can we earn our living … pay our mortgage?” said Gho-Lamatiam.
Next steps
At the end of a community meeting last July 28 at the Bathurst-Wilson area, some participants suggested a new federal class program through which caregivers can apply to migrate to Canada. They also called for the removal of the live-in requirement.
Currently, aside from the LCP, the other programs available to those planning to immigrate to Canada include Federal skilled workers (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades Program, Quebec‑selected skilled workers, Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Start-up visa, Self-employed Persons Program, Family sponsorship, Provincial nominees, and Refugees.
Tiangson said a multi-disciplinary team will now craft the recommendations to the government in time for a second round of consultations.
“Ang next steps para sa atin e kailangan paigihin natin, pagbutihan natin ang ating recommendation so that yung magiging reporma ay galing sa atin (Our next step is to improve on these recommendations so that these reforms will be coming from us – the Filipino community.),” said Tiangson.
“Natutuwa naman ako sa posture ng goberyorno natin. Nais nila na itong reform na gagawin sa live-in caregiver program ay manggaling sa atin. Ang sabi nga ni Minister Alexander ay hindi ito reporma ng gobyerno kundi ito ay reporma na manggaling sa mga caregivers themselves o sa mga community. Sa ganyang posture, hopefully maka-submit tayo ng magandang recommendations sa ating gobyerno (I am glad of the posture of our government. They want the reforms to the LCP to come from us. Minister Alexander said this is not a reform of the government but reforms will be coming from the caregivers themselves or from the community. With this, hopefully, we can submit good recommendations to the government),” he added.
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