Canada’s new care worker immigration programs need faster processing times to keep families together

The Canadian government recently announced a new pilot program for in-home migrant care workers, starting in late 2024 or early 2025.

This follows previous programs like the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilot projects (2019-24), the Caregiver Program (2014-19) and the Live-in Caregiver Program (1992-2014).

The new initiative promises immediate permanent residency upon arrival, addressing calls from care workers to reduce instability from temporary work permits . However, it does little to address the thousands of pending permanent residence applications from current care workers experiencing stress and prolonged family separation.

Lofty goal

The federal government plans to admit more than 15,000 migrant care workers as permanent residents as part of its 2024–26 immigration level plans.

This is a lofty goal, considering only 5,700 care workers and their family members have been admitted in total since 2019 , despite an overwhelming number of applications sitting with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the initial aim to approve 5,500 permanent residence applications per year during the 2019-24 pilot programs.

Data that we obtained from IRCC indicates that as of March 2023, more than 30,000 permanent residence applications from care workers in Canada and their dependents abroad were awaiting processing. This number only reflects those from the most recent pilot programs and does not account for applications in inventory from earlier programs.

The federal government estimates that 600 applications from care workers remain from the defunct Live-in Caregiver Program, sitting in limbo for more than 10 years.

Since primary permanent residence applicants — care worker parents — apply on behalf of their children, 600 people in Canada and their families back home are awaiting reunification decisions. With most children aging out of the dependent category at 22, time is running out.

One participant in our research with migrant care workers shared:

“In my processing…IRCC approved me for an open work permit, but I’m waiting for another three years…they said my daughter, she has aged already — she is 22 years old…The answer is that they refuse because they said she is already over age.”

Families separated

We also found IRCC is failing to meet its targets for processing these permanent residence applications, which delays family reunification. Although IRCC has a target time of six to 12 months for processing these applications, those from the 2014-19 and 2019-24 pilot programs take an average of 24-37 months to be processed by IRCC.

Meanwhile, applications remaining in inventory from the 1992-2014 Live-in Caregiver Program are taking an average processing time of 70 months. One care worker stated:

“For the children it is difficult. It’s difficult, but I will push through. I will really cry in this part. Just on my side. I just tell myself that yes, it’s OK. This is for my kids. It hurts.”

Slow permanent residence processing times across migrant care worker programs have unjustly normalized family separation for these families over the last few decades , with profound implications for their mental health.

Depression, loneliness, anxiety and strained family relationships are common experiences for migrant care workers while they are separated from their children. As one care worker explained, chronic uncertainty about reunification is at the root of her feelings of isolation and helplessness:

“It really hurts me because I can’t do anything because I’m here. I don’t want to cry. I mean, I’m here in Canada. And so now my daughter, every time she calls me or messages me, I don’t care what I do. I just answer it and whisper to her. How are you? How are you? Mom’s here for you. I don’t show her that I’m suffering here. I don’t want her to know the suffering I do here because I don’t want her to feel bad.”

To avoid further delaying their permanent residence applications and prolonging family separation, care workers are also compelled to put up with poor, unfair or exploitative working conditions that can further strain their mental health .

Lengthy waits

One care worker described being obligated to endure sub-standard work while undergoing the lengthy process of attaining permanent residence status and family unification:

“You’re already abused mentally and you have so many things…you know our main reason is to survive to give financial stability to your family. They are in the Philippines so we really have to endure any work here. Just to give them a better future. I’m already 40. It’s five years. We still don’t have papers. They say Canada is reunited, right? You can reunite with your family here. How come you don’t have papers?…I’m a single mom. I can only be with my one child. I only have my child. So of course our aim, our goal is to be with our family.”

The federal government risks repeating the poor permanent residence processing seen in the Live-in Caregiver Program, leading to prolonged family separations and children aging out of the dependent category.

This issue affects not only 600 applications from the defunct program, but also tens of thousands from recent pilot programs.

We recommend that IRCC, in addition to implementing the new pilot programs, expedite all pending permanent residence applications for migrant care workers in Canada to ensure timely family reunification for these essential workers.

Our research was supported by Understanding Precarity in British Columbia , a SSHRC-funded partnership. We are grateful for the collaborative work of our research team including Cenen Bagon, Rincy Calamba, Kassandra Cordero, Alice Mũrage, and Noemi Rosario Martinez.

Jennifer E. Shaw receives funding from the Understanding Precarity in British Columbia SSHRC-funded partnership.

Alicia Massie is Joseph-Armand Bombardier Doctoral Scholar, Understanding Precarity in British Columbia SSHRC-funded partnership, and a volunteer for her local BC NDP neighbourhood association.

Anita Minh receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Heath Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Award.