Your gateway to Canada

By Attorney Henry Moyal

LIVE IN CAREGIVER APPLICATION UPDATE

Employer’s Income

This is a follow up article to the topic discussed a few months ago that touched upon sufficient income that an employer must earn in order to sponsor a live in caregiver. Since the publication of that article, a deluge of inquiries have been forthcoming detailing how employers are frustrated, bewildered and dismayed at the way the Canadian Embassy in Manila runs its business. In particular, employers are shocked to hear that their “high” income level is not sufficient to pay a caregiver at a minimum wage. Others are equally frustrated because years have passed from the time that the application was submitted and if they simply would have known from the start that they would not qualify then it would save the employer and worker aggravation, time and expenses.

Nothing can be more true. It is shocking to this writer that no policy has been in place to date that would give employers a hint of whether they would be able to satisfy the income criteria for sponsorship a caregiver. Again, the employer may feel they have sufficient income but has little knowledge of the income level guidelines that officer’s use. In brief, visa officers are currently using a formula that has been implemented for sponsoring parents. In other words, the income level takes into account family size and also previous sponsorships.

For example, a couple seeking to hire a caregiver for their three children must earn a minimum income for a family of five which is currently set at $43791. In addition, the expected wages of the caregiver must be added and is approximately $18500. The grand total then would be $62291.

Renewing Work Permits

Processing times to file for an extension of a work permit and visitor status have increased dramatically from one month to nearly 70 days. It is therefore suggested that applicants apply early.

Change of Employers

Incomplete applications are often returned by Citizenship and Immigration. It therefore crucial to be reminded that in order to change employers an applicant first must obtain a HRSDC validation and then file for a new work permit together with a signed contract.

Attorney Henry Moyal is a certified and licensed immigration lawyer in Toronto, Ontario. The above article is general advice only and is not intended to act as a legal document. Send questions to Attorney Moyal by fax, phone or email canada@moyal.com