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Live -in Caregiver Program of Canadian Immigration

The Live-in Caregiver Program allows professional caregivers to work in Canada. Caregivers are individuals who are qualified to work without supervision in a private household providing care for children, elderly persons or people who have disabilities. The live-in caregiver must live in the employer's home.

There are four main requirements you must meet to qualify under the Live-in Caregiver Program:

You must have successfully completed the equivalent of a Canadian high school education. This requirement will help to ensure that if you apply for permanent residence after two years as a live-in caregiver, you will be able to succeed in the general labour market. Studies indicate that the majority of new jobs in Canada require at least a high school education.
You must have six months of full-time training in a classroom setting or twelve months of full-time paid employment, including at least six months of continuous employment with one employer in a field or occupation related to the job you are seeking as a live-in caregiver. You may have gained your training or experience in areas such as early childhood education, geriatric care, pediatric nursing or first aid. You may also have completed your training as part of your formal education. This experience must have been obtained within the three years immediately prior to the day on which you submit an application for a work permit.
You must be able to speak, read and understand either English or French at a level that allows you to function independently in a home setting. For example, you must be able to contact emergency services if required and to understand labels on medication. You will be unsupervised for most of the day and may be required to communicate with someone outside the home. A good knowledge of English or French will also enable you to read and understand your rights and obligations.
You must have a written employment contract between you and your future employer. The contract defines your job duties, hours of work, salary and benefits. The contract also reinforces your employer's legal responsibilities to you. This requirement helps provide a fair working arrangement between the caregiver and the employer and provides both parties with a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

Live-in criteria
An important requirement of the program is that employees must live in the employer's home. The Live-in Caregiver Program exists only because there is a shortage of Canadians or permanent residents to fill the need for live-in care work. There is no shortage of Canadians or permanent residents available for care giving positions where there is no live-in requirement.

The application procedure
Your prospective employer will submit a request to hire you to a Human Resources Centre Canada (HRCC). The HRCC will ensure that no Canadian, permanent resident or other temporary worker already in Canada is qualified and available to take the employer's offer of employment. Once the HRCC has confirmed the job offer, it will send the prospective employer a confirmation letter. This letter will instruct your prospective employer to send a copy of the confirmation letter to you. You and your prospective employer should check the visa office Web site for specific information about the next step: applying for a work permit. It is up to you and/or your employer to download the appropriate application forms from the Web site, complete them and send them with the application fee and supporting documents to the visa office.

You will be asked for your diplomas, school certificates or transcripts listing the courses you have taken. You could be disqualified from the program if you are not honest about your education, training and experience. You must provide information about your marital status and the number of children you have. This information will not affect the outcome of your application. You may be asked to attend an interview with a visa officer. If your application form is incomplete, or you have not submitted all the required documents, your application will be refused.

If the visa office approves your application, you will be given instructions for medical tests. When CIC officials receive proof that your medical results are satisfactory and that you have met all other requirements, you will be issued a work permit. A work permit is not a travel document. You must also get a passport and a Canadian temporary resident visa (TRV), if required. The requirement for a passport and temporary resident visa will depend on your country of citizenship (see "Passports and visas").

Because of an agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Quebec, there are differences in the way the program operates for caregivers who will be working in Quebec. For more information, visit the Web site of the ministère des Relations avec les citoyens et de l'Immigration (Quebec Immigration) at www.mrci.gouv.qc.ca..

Passports and visas
Citizens and permanent residents of the United States, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenland do not need a passport or a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. However, you must provide documentary proof of citizenship or permanent residence, such as a national identity card or an alien registration card.
If you are coming from any other country, you will need a passport and you may also require a temporary resident visa. Please refer to the CIC Web site for the list of countries whose nationals need a visa to come to Canada.

The work permit
A work permit from a Canadian visa office will allow you to work in Canada as a live-in caregiver. The work permit is valid for one year, and you must renew it before it expires. You can get an application guide to renew your work permit by contacting the CIC Call Centre at the number listed at the end of this publication or by visiting the CIC Web site. You will need a letter from your employer stating that your job as a live-in caregiver is being offered for another year and a signed contract between you and your employer. Include this letter and a copy of the contract in your application to renew your work permit. You are authorized to work only for the employer named on your permit. However, this does not mean you cannot change employers for personal or other reasons. Both you and your employer should be aware that you are free to change employers while in Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will not deport you for looking for another place to work. You must have received a new work permit before you begin working for a new employer (see "Changing jobs").

Involvement in any illegal activity could result in the cancellation of your permission to work in Canada. For example, you cannot work for any employer except the one named on your work permit. You cannot accept employment for any type of work except as a live-in caregiver. You cannot work for a new employer, even for a trial period, until you have a new work permit naming the new employer.

If you have any questions, please visit us at AskUsImmigration or
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