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It sounds like the ideal situation: a Canadian family hires a foreign worker to care for a young child, elderly parent or person with disabilities, and in exchange for 24 months of full-time domestic work within a four-year period, the caregiver can apply for permanent resident status. But how do participants in the federal Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) really fare after finishing their terms of employment? According to a Ryerson researcher, these immigrants face significant challenges in Canada.  

Rupa Banerjee, a professor in the Ted Rogers School of Business Management, is lead investigator of a nation-wide study that is examining the settlement experiences of former live-in caregivers. The project, which also involves Philip Kelly of York University, has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of foreign domestic workers have entered Canada through the LCP.  According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 90 per cent of those caregivers apply for permanent resident status, and 98 per cent of them are successful.

But upon completion of the LCP, as Banerjee’s preliminary research shows, many former nannies and attendants – the majority of whom are young women from the Philippines – experience problems finding meaningful work and adjusting to Canadian society. “Ultimately, these women will become members of the voting public, so how their integration is handled is very important to Canada,” says Banerjee.

The goal of her study is to learn more about former LCP workers’ labour market experiences, their adaption to Canadian society, and their access to social and economic support services. Banerjee hopes this information will raise awareness of the financial and psychological challenges faced by former LCP workers, and will enable her to recommend policy changes to ease those burdens.

Working in partnership with GABRIELA-Ontario, a Filipina women’s organization, as well as MIGRANTE Canada and other community organizations, the research team is conducting surveys and focus groups in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton among former LCP workers who have obtained permanent resident status. The study, which builds upon a pilot project that was led by GABRIELA-Ontario in the Greater Toronto Area, is making use of participatory action research. That is, community members themselves will help collect the data, as well as interpret and disseminate the results.

Although the research has just begun, Banerjee is already discovering some themes in the women’s experiences. For example, even though most LCP participants hold university degrees they often struggle to gain recognition in Canada for their foreign credentials. And this lack of recognition makes it difficult for former LCP workers to reenter their chosen professions.

“The women also face the added stigma of working as a nanny in Canada and often, they won’t put that job on their resumes. This leads to gaps in their employment,” says Banerjee.

Training for another career, however, isn’t easy for former LCP workers. Many of them send their earnings to families back home, leaving little money to pay for schooling. In addition, the process of sponsoring loved ones to come to Canada is lengthy and expensive. So, when the women are finally reunited with their spouses and children, the adjustment period can be challenging for everyone. Years of separation and the strain of making a new life in Canada can lead to conflict within the family.

In light of these multiple burdens, says Banerjee, a key focus of the research is to bring about systemic changes for LCP workers. “We are planning on publishing our results in academic publications, and also disseminating them through public workshops and community organizations that advocate for the welfare of LCP immigrants and their families.”