The Toronto office of Philippine Overseas Labor Office have made additions in the contract for the live in caregiver program for nannies bound for Canada. This was announced early April by the labor attache of the Philippines in Toronto. This program, which started in 1992, allows participants to earn an immigrant status after completing 24 months with an employer within a period of 3 years. Thousands of Filipinos have entered Canada since the inception of the live in caregiver program - most of them have become immigrants and later, citizens of Canada.
According to the press release given out by labor attache, Frank Luna, the newly imposed addendum is necessary for the good of the foreign worker. Reports of abuse by employers and the highly irregular recruitment activities of some recruitment agencies - which have placed many of this mostly women Filipino caregiver, in difficult situations, are the main reason this new additions became necessary according to Mr. Luna.
Caregiver support groups and advocates of changes in the live in caregiver program have not voiced their opinion just yet regarding this development. This Filipino caregiver group are advocating for scrapping of the live-in caregiver program, which includes in the condition a live-in clause for the worker in the homes of their employer. The group is asking instead for changes in status from temporary worker to that of a landed immigrant, immediately upon arriving in Canada.
On the other hand, immigration consultants and employment agencies are protesting this addendum supposedly because it will just add cost to the existing program which at the moment already have enough rules to safeguard the caregivers in Canada. They’re reasoning out that Canada have already in place thru Service Canada and HRSDC rules on procedure for employers to sponsor foreign workers - which is parallel to the live in caregiver program.
They added that, other than the additional payment the Philippine government is imposing to process this new contract, that the said document has no teeth even if the Canadian employer reneged on what they signed on, supposedly because no Canadian law will be broken and the Philippines have no jurisdiction over them.