IRCC promises to clear backlog of PR applications from Live-in Caregiver Program by 2018

IRCC has announced its goal to finalize 80 percent of the applications for permanent residence submitted on or before October 1, 2017, by caregivers and their family members through the Live-in Caregiver Program.

Under the Live-in Caregiver Program, temporary foreign workers became eligible to apply for permanent residence after they had achieved a minimum of two years full-time, live-in employment as a caregiver in Canada. The program was closed in 2014 but many care-givers working in Canada at the time were given the extended opportunity to apply for permanent residence.

IRCC has also committed to processing at least 80 percent of new, complete LCP applications submitted on or after October 1, 2017 within 12 months. IRCC allocated additional resources dedicated to processing the backlog of applications and as of October 1, 2017, has managed to reduce the number of caregivers and their family waiting for their applications to be finalized by 63 percent.

As a result of this push, an estimated 5,000 more cases are expected to be finalized than originally forecast for 2017 and at least 20,000 new permanent residents will be welcomed to Canada this year in the caregiver category.

Additionally, IRCC could soon be announcing new developments regarding a proposal to eliminate the $1,000 Labour Market Impact Assessment fee for Canadian families seeking to hire a temporary foreign worker to care for a person with high medical needs. This fee would also be eliminated for Canadian families with an income of less than $150,000 who are looking to hire a foreign worker to provide childcare.