This spring, 2015, the Migrant Mothers Project is launching a new three-year study that will examine “How conditional settlement impacts immigrant women”. This study builds upon previous research conducted by the Migrant Mothers Project and aims to inform the development of programs, policies and advocacy strategies to support immigrant women. With the rising concern for economic and social conditions facing immigrants with precarious immigration status, this research aims to develop an intersectional gendered lens that will help us develop ways to support immigrant women and influence public policy to better assist them in times of crisis and need.
In particular, the “Conditional Settlement” study will focus on two groups of immigrants that are overrepresented by women: a) sponsored spouses/partners and b) people who enter Canada through what was previously called the Live-In-Caregiver program.
In Canada, women represent 58% of the sponsored spouses and 96% of the Live-In Caregiver entries (Citizenship & immigration Canada, 2014). The legal and financial dependence that sponsored spouses/partners face have been amplified with the new Conditional Permanent Residence status, that applies to sponsored spouses/partners who have been in a relationship with their sponsor for two years or less and do not have a child in common.
Recent changes to the Live-in-Caregiver program in November 2014, have also created uncertainty about how domestic workers and caregivers in the new program will access permanent residence. In both cases, immigrant women with conditional status may be vulnerable to abuse and face an increased risk of becoming nonstatus or being deportation if they do not abide by the conditions of their stay.
The study’s main objectives are:
- Exploring changes in immigration policy that impact the settlement of sponsored spouses;
- Examine how changes to the Live-in-Caregiver program are impacting access to permanent residency and settlement of live-in-caregivers and domestic workers;
- Understand how immigration enforcement (deportation and removal from Canada) impact immigrant women’ safety and access to support services.
- Explore the impact of federal and provincial policies on access to services for immigrant women in the provinces of Alberta and Ontario
During the first year, the main research activities will include:
- Holding community consultations with service providers and policy makers in Alberta and Ontario;
- Forming a Research Advisory Committee to guide the development of the study;
- Conducting a scan of parliamentary debates and policy changes related to sponsored spouses and the live-in-caregiver program;
We look forward to sharing information that we gather about these policies and their impacts throughout the study. Please check out our website for regular updates or follow-us on Facebook.
The Migrant Mothers Project Team