Mabuhay House Society Welcomes Federal Government’s New Pathways for Foreign Caregivers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2024
Vancouver, BC — Mabuhay House Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Filipino community in British Columbia, welcomes the announcement by The Honourable Marc Miller, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship introducing two new pilot programs aimed at providing foreign caregivers with permanent residence upon their arrival in Canada.
This development marks a significant step forward in recognizing the invaluable contributions of caregivers from abroad and addressing long-standing calls from decades of relentless advocacy by many caregivers and migrant worker organizations for a clearer and more accessible pathway to permanent residency.
The new pilot programs, set to replace the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots closing on June 17, offer caregivers the opportunity to work in various care roles, including those for children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. Importantly, these programs extend to caregivers working for organizations providing temporary or part-time care for those recovering from injury or illness and individuals not fully independent.
Mabuhay House Society’s Chair, Sammie Jo Rumbua emphasized the importance of these changes, particularly for the Filipino Canadian community:
"We applaud the Federal government’s commitment to improving the lives of foreign caregivers. For the Filipino Canadian community, successive federal government caregiver programs worked to push and keep our community to the margins of society as vulnerable workers. It tore families apart and prevented many of us from achieving our full potential. This has been a long time coming, and I want to acknowledge the caregivers themselves and their families for their courage to tell their stories.”
In the 2021 Census, over one-third (34.0%) of Filipino immigrant women immigrated as principal applicants through the caregiver program, which represents a significant number of specialized skilled trade in the health care industry in Canada.
At Mabuhay House Society, we strive to create an inclusive, intercultural, and intergenerational space where Filipino Canadians can thrive. These new pathways will help ensure that caregivers, who are often the backbone of many families, have the opportunity to build a secure and prosperous future in Canada. The reduction in language requirements and the streamlined pathway to permanent residence will alleviate some of the barriers caregivers face, making it easier for them to secure their futures in Canada.
We look forward to continuing our work with the provincial government to support the Filipino community and celebrate this positive development.
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About Mabuhay House Society
Established in 2021, Mabuhay House Society is a registered non-profit society working closely with the provincial government to develop a provincial Filipino cultural centre that will be an inclusive, intercultural, and intergenerational space that Filipino Canadians can call home, where everyone is welcome. Mabuhay House Society is paving the way for the Filipino connection and community to thrive in BC. Visit our website at mabuhayhouse.ca.
For more info:
Sammie Jo Rumbaua
Board Chair, Mabuhay House Society
chair@mabuhayhouse.ca
604-334-1800