What is Caregiver Program?
Caretakers, more widely known as “Nannies,” provide invaluable assistance in the care of a home. Their contribution to general societal functioning is both significant and critical. Since there are few participants for such types of occupations in Canada, entry via a Caregiver Visa helps meet the demand balance for this sector.
A Caregiver Program of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) permits a household to hire an international caretaker for the respective members of the family:
An elderly
A child
A disabled person
Caregivers who want to immigrate to Canada have two options. There are currently two immigration programs specifically designed for caretakers in operation.
Both of Canada’s current caregiver pilot programs are accepting applications. Thanks to the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilot programs, foreign caregiver coming to work in Canada will no longer have to leave close family members behind and will have a more straightforward path to Canadian permanent residence.
Permanent residence for caregivers
Keeping your temporary resident status
While working in Canada, you must always have a current temporary residence status. Applying is required
Before it expires, extend your work permit or
Before it expires, modify the terms.
You could continue working under the same restrictions as your original work permit while you wait for a decision if you applied for a new work permit before your present one expires. It’s known as “maintained status” (implied status).
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot
The Home Child Care Provider Pilot or the Home Support Worker Pilot may allow you to submit an application for permanent residency if you:
Meet the standards for eligibility, and
Possess a job offer in one of these fields
Through these pilots, you’ll get an open work permit to come to Canada and work temporarily. This work permit:
Meet the standards for eligibility, and
Doesn’t need a Labour Market Impact Assessment
Lets you get the work experience you need to be eligible for permanent residence
Live-in Caregiver Program
The LCP (Live-in Caregiver Program) is no longer accepting new applications. Only those who have at least two years of work experience in the Live-in Caregiver Program and who also meet the following requirements may apply for permanent residence through the LCP:
you have an LCP work permit and are currently employed in Canada, or
Temporary work for caregivers
Apply to extend your work permit
If you’re currently working in Canada as a caregiver, you may be eligible to extend your work permit through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
Apply for a new work permit
If one of these applies to you, you can often apply for a work permit through the TFWP to work temporarily in Canada as a caregiver:
You are in Canada
You are outside Canada and your employer applied for an LMIA
You will be working in Quebec
Your employer will need to get LMIA first. Once they have a positive LMIA, you can apply for a work permit
Eligibility Criteria
Education Requirements
Applicants must have completed a post-secondary education credential of at least one year. If this is not a Canadian education credential, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report must show it is equal to a completed Canadian post-secondary education credential of one year.
Job Offer
Applicants must have a genuine and valid job offer. It must be full-time (at least 30 hours) and from a Canadian employer from outside Canada. Applicants must satisfy the job offer is genuine; this means there is a real need to hire you.
Language Requirements
Applicants will need to take a language test and receive a minimum language skill of CLB 5 in English or French.
Work Experience
Past work experience or training will be used to assess whether applicants are able to do the work described in the NOC job description. To obtain permanent residence, applicants will need to have acquired 24 months of Canadian work experience as a caregiver.
Who can apply as a Caregiver?
There are three possible scenarios applicants can apply to the pilot programs:
No full-time work experience as a caregiver in Canada
Some full-time work experience as a caregiver in Canada but less than 24 months
24 months or more of full-time work experience as a caregiver in Canada
