Canada is caring for our caregivers,” said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen in a statement to the Star. We made a commitment to improve the lives of caregivers and their families who come from around the world for our loved ones and with these new pilots, we are doing exactly that

The new programs come after extensive consultations conducted last year by the immigration department in response to demands by caregivers and their advocates who have long complained that restricting their work permit to one specific employer makes them vulnerable to exploitation like indentured labourers

The new pilots will each have an annual quota of 2,750 principal applicants, for a total of 5,500 per year, plus their immediate family, said immigration officials

And by changing the caregivers’ employer-specific work permits to ones restricted to the caregiving occupation, employers will no longer need to apply for what’s known as a labour market impact assessment to prove their need to hire a foreign caregiver, saving them the $1,000 they now have to pay in government processing fees per position

Toronto Star June 15, 2019