LONG WAITING TIMES FOR LIVE IN CAREGIVER RESIDENCY

Long waiting times are a result of a variety of factors: volume of applications, more complex cases, and poorly presented applications. caregivers are advised to seek appropriate representation before filing applications, to minimize unnecessary delays.



Live-in caregivers play a long waiting game


Backlog in permanent residence applications means workers can wait years to win sought-after status and reunite with families

By Tara Carman, Vancouver SunJune 2, 2012
When Maria Rabino left her family in the Philippines to come to Canada as a live-in caregiver, she imagined her three children would join her in a few years, in time for high school.

That was 2005. Seven years later, Rabino's eldest - just 10 when she left - is almost old enough for university and Rabino still has no idea how long it will take for the family to be reunited.

Her expectation was not an unreasonable one. Live-in caregivers come to Canada from abroad to care for children or seniors. After they have completed 24 months of work in the field, they are eligible to apply for both an open work permit, which allows them to work in any field, and permanent resident status, which enables them to sponsor their families to join them.

Waiting times for open work permits, which used to be up to two years, have been reduced to a few months thanks to changes introduced by the federal government in December. But permanent residence application processing times have increased in recent years, said Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokeswoman Caroline Hickton in a statement.

Figures provided by the department suggest the time it takes to process permanent residence applications for live-in caregivers in Canada increased to 24 months from 21 months between 2010 and 2011, and to 29 months from 24 months for applications processed overseas. This is mainly due to a surge in the number of live-in caregivers who entered Canada between 2007 and 2009, Hickton said, adding the government is cutting the number of caregivers it allows in each year in an effort to deal with the backlog.

But the permanent residence pro-cess is taking considerably longer than that, said Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies, whose riding is home to many of the mainly Filipina women who come to Vancouver as live-in caregivers. Most are separated from their families for an average of seven years, he said.

"I miss my children when I go to Ottawa for four days. I can't imagine what it's like to be separated from your children and your spouse for years," he said. "The rate of divorce, the family breakup, the trauma suffered by children, the psychological damage is incredible and well documented."

The long separation has taken its toll on Rabino's relationship with her husband and children.

"You could imagine ... their teen-age years that I am not with them," Rabino said of her children, now 17, 16 and 13, who she said are constantly asking her when they will move. "It's so hard. ... But, you know, I keep it on myself. I have to fight, I have to survive here for my kids."

Hickton said Rabino received confirmation she had fulfilled the requirements of the live-in caregiver pro-gram in November 2008. The delay in processing her permanent residency application occurred because Rabino was late paying right of permanent residence fees - which Hickton said should have been submitted with her initial permanent residence application - and responding to government requests for information.

Rabino disputes that, emphasizing that she and her family were always watching for any communication from the Canadian government and responded to requests right away.

The immigration department con-firmed receipt of her permanent residence fee in November 2011, but by that time Rabino's background check - valid for a year - had expired and visas for the family could not be issued, Hickton said.

During the waiting period, the family's immigration medical exams, also valid for a year, expired twice, as did the family's passports. The medical exams cost $100 per person and require the family to make an overnight trip to the city in the Philippines, Rabino said.

Immigration Canada requested that the family undergo a third medical exam in April, according to Hickton.

"Currently, C.I.C. is waiting on the results of the new background check for Ms. Rabino. As well, the mission in Manila has requested that Ms. Rabi-no's dependants undergo new [medical exams] and renew their passports."

Live-in caregivers say such bureaucratic delays are typical. Some have started a petition, signed by more than 1,000 people, calling on the federal government to cut the red tape that keeps families separated and to shorten the processing times for permanent residence applications.

In an effort to reduce the strain on families posed by long periods of separation, the NDP advocates allowing caregivers' families to come to Canada with them and that anyone over 16 be granted work permits, Davies said, noting that the live-in caregiver program is Canada's only temporary-worker stream deliberately designed to result in permanent residence.

"You know that the woman ... is going to sponsor her husband and children," he said. "You know they're coming. The only question, policy-wise, is when."

Caregivers should have the option of accepting less money if they choose to live off-site with their own families, since they are not taking room and board from their employers, Davies said.

But Hickton said this would defeat the purpose of the program.

CHINESE APPLICANTS COMPLAIN ABOUT CANADA IMMIGRATION CHANGES

This is an interesting article from the Globe and Mail, but the protagonists ignore basic facts: there is no "right to immigration";  Parliament can pass any legislation it wishes in the interest of public policy; the use of hyperbole words as "dreams" and "shattered" may be highly emotional and attempts to arouse sympathy, but the bottom line is that immigrants need jobs and the current policy is to emphasize immigration for those who are already working in Canada or have prearranged jobs. Most of the applicants in the Skilled Worker program that are in the "backlog" do not have  prearranged jobs, nor the skills or ability to find one in the current economic climate in Canada. Applicants have known for the last three years that the Minister issued instructions in 2011 directing that the Skilled Worker category will comprise only applicants with jobs or in 29 occupational categories in demand, and placed the "backlog" in a virtual freeze. No one should be surprised that the backlog has been eliminated, given the warning signals and the tough economy.

Applicants furious at change in Canada's immigration law - The Globe and Mail

CANADIAN CONSULATE IN BUFFALO WILL CEASE OPERATIONS AUGUST 27, 2012: REPORT

Canadian consulate employees get closing notice - Buffalo - Business First


Canadian consulate employees get closing notice

Business First by Allissa Kline, Buffalo Business First Reporter

Date: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 4:41pm EDT

Employees of the Consulate General of Canada in Buffalo today received official notice that the office will be shuttered this summer by the Canadian government.

A consulate employee who spoke on the condition on anonymity confirmed that 75 to 80 employees who provide immigration assistance and business development support will lose their jobs Aug. 27. However, immigration services will start to be handled internally or shifted to other offices “within the month,” so the Buffalo office will effectively close by the end of June, the employee said.

The closure stems from federal budget cuts and a change in the way immigration processing is handled, the employee said. Similar shutdowns are set to take place in smaller trade offices in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Raleigh-Durham.

No details about the Buffalo closure have been released by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada department. More information may be available later this week.

News of the closure of the Buffalo office was reported May 25 by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. The consulate is a longtime tenant of One HSBC Center, the tallest building in downtown Buffalo.

The office recently completed more than $1 million in office renovations and renewed its 10-year lease with Seneca One Realty LLC in 2010. The employee did not know the terms for getting out of that lease.

The closure follows the May 24 announcement that HSBC Bank USA N.A., the anchor tenant at One HSBC Center, is eliminating its anti-money laundering monitoring unit in Buffalo between Sept. 18 and Oct. 18. The department’s 77 employees are located at the tower.

The Phillips Lytle law firm will vacate the building in 2013 when it relocates to the former Donovan State Office building, now known as One Canalside.

About half of the consulate employees in Buffalo are Americans.

MORE ON JOB SCAM WARNING FOR FILIPINOS GOING TO CANADA

Job seekers warned of scam in Canada - News - Manila Standard Today - Daily news, current events, latest news in the Philippines Sites site

PHILIPPINES LABOUR MINISTER WARNS AGAINST CANADA MIGRATION SCAMS

Philippines labour Minister warns against scams peddling non-existent jobs in Canada.


Baldoz warns of scam on Canada jobs | Inquirer Global Nation

CANADA TO CLOSE CONSULATE IN BUFFALO, NY

After decades in operation, the largest Canadian Consulate in the United States will be closed. Files will be transferred to other visa posts. City of Buffalo shocked.

Area leaders on every level to fight decision to close Canadian consulate - Downtown - The Buffalo News

RUSSIAN FLIGHT ATTENDANT ARRESTED IN CANADA, WANTED IN US, SEEKS RETURN TO RUSSIA

This may turn out to be a fascinating case. I am sure we will hear more concerning the evidence and the alleged scheme.

Detained Russian flygirl wanted in U.S. launches Canadian Charter challenge | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun