With respect to the live-in caregivers, in fact that's part of the thing. While they're in Canada, they apply. But as Cecilia said, there are many problems within that program. This makes the dream of becoming an immigrant almost impossible because of all these other requirements and the consequences once you fail to meet some of the requirements. I think some have advocated that before they come they are already immigrants. That gives them all kinds of protections.
I want to talk about family reunification. As you said, it's such an important part of our immigration system. If you compare the figures today with the figures from 10 years ago, over 50% of Canada's immigration were family class at that time. Today, it's less than 25%. It's because we're moving more and more toward the independent immigrant skilled workers and so on, without recognizing they have family and that they need their family here.
Part of the problem is also how we define family. When Mr. Komarnicki says that some live-in caregivers have to bring their families through live-in caregiver programs, I'm wondering, maybe it's because their family members don't fit the family class immigration category. Again, that's because of our bureaucratic definition of who is in our family.
I'll use another taxi driver example. On my way here from the airport, the taxi driver found out that I was here to talk about this. He said he wanted to sponsor his brother-in-law, and and he gave me the sponsorship application. I said no, you can't, he's not your family. He said that he is his sister's husband. I said I understood that, but that he doesn't fit the family class definition. There are many reasons why people choose other ways of coming here to be with their families. It's because our system doesn't allow that to happen.
You can go on forever, but there are many issues we have to struggle with--some are processing issues and some are definition issues--that are in the act and the regulations.