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The 2011 Canadian census shows that Tagalog, a language spoken in the Philippines, is the fastest growing language in Canada. It is now the fifth most commonly spoken language among Canadians at home. The number of people speaking Tagalog at home rose by 64% between the last Canadian census in 2006 and 2011. The results of the 2011 census showed that there were nearly 280,000 people who spoke Tagalog at home living in Canada. In 2006, there were only 170,000 Tagalog speakers.
The rise is due to the growing number of Filipinos now living in Canada. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas says that 667,674 Filipinos now live in Canada. A large number of them have moved there as part of the Live-In Caregiver Program. This programme allows people to travel to Canada as nannies and carers for the ill, the disabled and the elderly. More people from the Philippines apply for temporary residence visas under this programme than from any other country. Nearly 35,000 Filipino (mainly) women applied in 2011 alone.
Those applying to travel to Canada under the Live-In Caregiver Program must first
• Have acquired a positive Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from Service Canada which states
o That there is a need for this job and the employer can employ a foreign worker
o The wages and working conditions meet provincial employment standards
• Have obtained a contract of employment in Canada
• Have completed the equivalent of Canadian secondary education
• Have completed six months' training or twelve months' work as a caregiver in the last three years
• Speak good English or French
If they fulfil these criteria, they can then apply for a Live-In Caregiver work permit and a temporary residence visa. They will then have four years in which they can work in Canada. During that time, they are entitled to leave their employer to work elsewhere for personal reasons. They must obtain a record of employment from their first employer and a record of their overtime. Only their employer can give them this document.
No less than 30 days before starting the new job, Live-In Caregivers must apply for a new work permit. This must be supported by a positive Labour Market Opinion and a copy of the new employment contract.
Once the Live-In Caregiver has completed
• 24 months of authorized full-time employment, or
• 3,900 hours of authorized full-time employment.
he or she can apply for permanent resident status. The employment must be completed in no less than 22 months and in no more than four years.
There are concerns that the Live-In Care Giver Program is open to abuse. Because caregivers who live in Canada as part of the programme are often isolated and are entirely dependent on their employer/sponsors for their continuing right to remain when first they arrive, there are fears that some employers abuse their position.
There are reports of Live-In Caregivers suffering abuse but failing to report it because they fear losing their position and, with it, the right to remain in Canada. Activists hoped that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper would mention this abuse during a visit to the Philippines this week. He did not do so.
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