In our experience, the number of caregivers who usually receive money in cash varies. It's a situation in which the employer chooses to pay them in cash. Most of the time it's a situation in which the employer is waiting on authorization to employ that caregiver.
In situations like that, our stand has always been to say to the caregiver that if an employer chooses to employ you illegally, it means that the employer is breaking the law, but when you accept that employment, it means that you are also breaking the law. I say to them that it's a risk, because I know most caregivers look forward to the day when they become landed immigrants. In some instances an employer would say, “I want to see what you can do in a probationary period before I employ you”, which also is not right and is illegal, and I say to caregivers that if an employer pays you by cash and that person is employing you illegally, there is no trace of payment. What happens usually when employees or caregivers apply for landed status is that if the record of employment shows that they were working during the period when they were not authorized to work, it jeopardizes their chance of getting landed status, so I usually advise caregivers not to take that risk.
The reality is, though, that someone who comes here sometimes has no relatives or very little support. If they are offered a place to stay, there are very few alternatives in terms of choices, so they will choose to stay at that employer and condone the illegal act.