Be a Live in Caregiver – under the Canada Caregiver Program
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Immigration Canada) has closed the Live-in Caregiver program. A foreign national who wishes to come to Canada as a caregiver must now apply for a work permit under the regular work permit stream.
The new Caregiver program no longer requires a live-in component. The foreign national is free to live in their own accommodations.
There are multiple steps that must be taken by both the employer and foreign national prior to a work permit being issued. A Foreign Caregiver can be hired for the following family members in a household:
- a child
- an elderly person
- a person with disability
Popularly known as the ‘Nanny’ , Caregivers provide great support in taking care of a household. Their role is both important and vital towards functioning of society. Entry through a Caregiver Visa helps meet the supply-demand equation for this profession as there are not many Canadian takers for these type of jobs.
Live in Caregivers may choose to reside in the house where they work. While the hiring of a Live in Caregiver is a two tier process, the third milestone for such a Caregiver could be the application for Permanent Residence of Canada (PR Visa) after acquiring the requisite work experience.
Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA):
Any employer looking to hire a Live in Caregiver from outside Canada, must apply to Service Canada for an approval process called as ‘Labour Market Impact Assessment-LMIA’ (formerly known as LMO). This approval calls for a set of guidelines and mandatory requirements for an employer to qualify for the positive determination of LMIA. A Caregiver can be employed only after the LMIA is received.
If you are an employer looking more information on hiring a Live in Caregiver, please contact us for a ‘No-Obligation’ confidential consultation.
Work Permit
- Once the positive LMIA confirmation is issued, the foreign national must apply for their work permit
- The foreign national will need to provide evidence to Immigration Canada that they meet the requirements of the position:
- Evidence of completed education
- Evidence of employment with past and current employers
- Evidence of French or English language capabilities
- In most situations, Immigration Canada will also request evidence from the employer in Canada, such as copies of Notice of Assessments, recent proof of employment of the employer and a letter from the employer confirming their need to employ a caregiver
Once a positive decision is issued by Immigration Canada, a foreign national must travel to Canada to have their work permit issued.
Application for Permanent Residence of Canada:
You may be eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program if you meet the following requirements:
- Have worked for at least 2 years of authorized full-time live-in employment in Canada, or
- Have worked 3900 hours of authorized full-time live-in employment, this may include 390 hours of overtime duty, and
- The work experience must be acquired within four years of your date of arrival.
Your application will be affected if:
you, your spouse or common-law partner, or any of your family members have a criminal record or a serious medical problem or pose a security risk.
- you didn’t provide truthful information to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Where we can help
Our experts at Next Nest Immigration Consultancy Inc. can help you by:
- Conducting a FREE Assessment and determining your eligibility under the Live in Caregiver Program
- Obtaining the positive LMIA for the employer
- Facilitating the Caregiver Visa Application Process
- Helping you with your Permanent Residence Permit