This program, which opened for applications at 10 a.m. on a Monday, was met with overwhelming demand, leading to extensive technical difficulties on the online portal.
Ghinger Marie Lastimosa, a registered nurse from the Philippines, aspires to become a permanent resident of Canada to continue her work as a home support worker for seniors in Scarborough. However, she recently faced significant challenges when applying for the federal government's Home Care Worker pilot program.
This program, which opened for applications at 10 a.m. on a Monday, was met with overwhelming demand, leading to extensive technical difficulties on the online portal. Lastimosa, who moved to Canada in 2022, experienced hours of glitches and was ultimately unable to upload her necessary documents. This situation has left her anxious about the expiration of her work permit next year, potentially forcing her and her husband to leave Canada. She expressed dismay, saying, "This was my only chance."
The launch of this pilot program by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, known as IRCC, was met with similar frustrations from many applicants. Immigration experts reported that the online portal effectively "froze," hindering the ability of numerous experienced home workers to submit their applications. Kevin Thibbles, an immigration consultant, shared his experience of trying to apply for six clients, stating that he could only successfully submit two applications due to portal issues.
He described the emotional toll this had on his clients, some of whom were visibly distressed upon learning they had missed their opportunity due to technical failures. The pilot program was designed to accept a limited number of applications—specifically, 2,750 total, split between online and mail submissions, for two streams: one for home support workers and another for child-care workers. Despite over 45,000 individuals attempting to apply, all available spots were filled within just over four hours. An IRCC spokesperson acknowledged the disappointment of those unable to submit applications, explaining that the demand for this pathway far exceeded the available spaces. Concerns have been raised by immigration consultants like Manan Gupta, who argue that many skilled workers are being denied permanent residency at a time when their skills are critically needed in Ontario. Gupta emphasized that while IRCC plans to open another round of applications next year, many deserving candidates might become undocumented in the interim, effectively losing their chance at residency and employment in Canada.
The province of Ontario anticipates a need for nearly 51,000 new personal support workers by 2032, highlighting the importance of such pilot programs in addressing workforce shortages. Critics of the program's structure have pointed out that the eligibility criteria were significantly relaxed compared to previous years.
Applicants now only needed six months of recent work experience or completion of six months of training, a stark contrast to the two years of work experience required in the past.
Language proficiency requirements were also lowered. This shift has raised questions about the fairness of the first-come, first-served application process, which some argue favors less experienced applicants who can navigate the technical challenges more effectively.
Thibbles and Gupta both advocate for a merit-based system that would allow all applicants to submit their applications and be evaluated based on their qualifications, rather than their ability to access the portal first. Gupta lamented that experienced workers like Lastimosa were overlooked due to technical glitches, while less qualified individuals who were able to quickly submit their applications secured spots in the program.
In response, the IRCC maintains that the annual application caps are necessary for managing the program's inventory and wait times, although many continue to question the effectiveness and fairness of the current system.
Source: CBC.ca