According to the new law of immigration in Canada, the caregivers who have been working there for long time should not have faced rejection on their application of permanent residence status owing to their illness. The ‘Juana Tejada Law’ discouraged the need of second medical examination by live-in care givers after they have lived long enough to obtain permanent resident status in Canada. The reason for the changes added in the law is the deportation faced by these care givers as they become sick while serving in the Canadian families even after being eligible to obtain permanent legal status.
Immigration Minister Jason Kennedy had agreed with the view that second medical check may not be required and made an announcement of the new law. There are around 40,000 live in caregivers who are already working in Canada before April 1 and this law greatly affects their life to quite an extent.
But on ground situation, frontline officers still have the right to ask for the second medical examination even if they have managed to clear the first medical examination and fulfill other necessary requirements.
The addition of this new requirement has turned to be a big problem for Marcia Piamonte Bandales, 52, suffering from deadly disease of breast cancer since last year. Marcia was taken aback when she was informed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada that she is not eligible for permanent residency in Canada owing to her bad health. The country would have to spend more than around 5,143$ a year which would be quite an expense for the country to handle for an immigrant.
This is truly a heart touching story of Marcia who tells the plight of many care givers who come to Canada and spend almost their entire life here to support their families. And such a treatment to them is like another blow to their wound. So, the authorities must really consider the case of Marcia before coming to any conclusion and come up with some law which would benefit everyone.