Canada promised these caregivers a path to permanent residence. Now they say the government is ‘punishing’ them

Another example of earlier IRCC mistakes and consequent corrections impact upon lives:

…It came as a shock two months ago when Ottawa updated its website. It told applicants for the 2025 edition of the home care worker immigration program they’re not eligible for the so-called bridging open work permit. The permit would have allowed them to remain and work in Canada while their permanent residence application is in process.

“Many caregivers who applied in good faith have lost the ability to work legally while waiting for permanent residence processing,” said Kim, 40, who came here from Korea with her husband in 2024. Their work permit expires next week.  

“Leaving us without a viable way to maintain legal work status while stretching the processing time by years is completely unfair.”

What’s also unfair, according to the Canadian Caregivers Assistance Organization, is that the bridging work permit is available to most other economic immigration applicants with pending permanent residence. The advocacy group called it an affront to the contributions of foreign caregivers.

“This is highly discriminatory,” said its founder, Allan Ralph Basa, an immigration consultant based in Toronto. “Why will you deprive these caregivers of the continuity of their status?”

The updated information on the foreign caregiver program followed other recent policy “clarifications” that have resulted in tightened eligibility for Iranian nationals seeking work permit extensions under a special public policyand for international students who graduated from non-credit programs when applying for post-graduation work permit….

Source: Canada promised these caregivers a path to permanent residence. Now they say the government is ‘punishing’ them