Filipiniana News – March 2019 By Maria Deanna P. Santos There was a lot of rejoicing in the caregiver community on 23 February 2019 when the Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen launched at a news conference, some major changes to the existing caregiver programs. The first major change is about the new caregiver permanent residence pilot programs that will replace the current pilot caregiver pathways when these expire on 29 November 2019. According to IRCC, the new caregiver pilot programs will have the following features: a) the caregivers will be assessed for permanent residence before they come to Canada; b) the caregivers will be issued occupation-specific (instead of employer-specific) work permits that will allow them to change employers without need to obtain new work permits; c) the caregivers’ spouses will be granted open work permits and their dependent children will be issued study permits; d) upon completion...