P E T I T I O N
To the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism:
On this day, 18 February 2013, as Ontario celebrates Family Day, we would like to once again bring to your attention the continuing hardships of live-in caregivers who have long been awaiting approval of their permanent resident status. Most caregivers have waited or been waiting for the grant of their PR status for longer than five years. With the current processing time of 38 months (as posted in the CIC website), the wait for some caregivers and their families could last as long as seven years or possibly even more. Longer wait times mean prolonged separation between caregivers and their families, increased financial, mental, physical, social and emotional costs. Caregivers continue to suffer in silence as they continue to long for that day when they are finally reunited with their families in Canada. We cannot stress enough the importance of the role of a united family unit in building a stronger, better and healthier Canada.
In view of these, we are signing this petition to appeal to your most kind discretion in considering the following proposals for further LCP reform:
1. Undertake all necessary measures to accelerate the processing of the applications of caregivers for permanent resident status and reunite them with their families as soon as possible.
2. Immediately grant permanent resident status to caregivers who have completed the 24-month requirement and who have submitted their permanent residence applications since January 2010 or earlier.
3. Grant the caregivers an exemption from inadmissibility if one of the dependent family members is found to be inadmissible for any reason.
4. If possible, amend the LCP by granting conditional permanent resident status to live-in caregivers upon arrival in Canada. As recommended by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in June 2009, “In order to retain permanent resident status, a caregiver must accumulate 24 months of work during the first three (or four) years in Canada. Once the conditions have been met, caregivers have to provide evidence to Citizenship and Immigration Canada in order to have the conditions lifted.”
5. If the grant of conditional permanent residence upon arrival is not possible, reduce the required live-in caregiving work from two years to one year, similar to the recent reduction of the work experience requirement under the Canadian Experience Class. This is also consistent with the caregiver advocates’ campaign raised at the September 2012 Ontario Caregivers 2nd Annual General Conference that the work done by live-in caregivers be classified under the skilled (and not low-skilled) category. This suggestion was based on the fact that most LCP participants possess the education credentials, work experience and perform substantial duties and responsibilities comparable to those of workers qualified under the CEC. Hence, to continue classifying LCP participants as lower-skilled is clearly discriminatory.
Time and again, the Honourable CIC Minister Jason Kenney has demonstrated the kind willingness to listen to the pleas of caregivers when you introduced reforms to protect and improve their working conditions. We are again appealing to your utmost compassion in seriously considering the above pleas and recommendations, particularly that which will lead to the immediate reunification of caregivers with their families in Canada.
Thank you very much.
