The Live-in Caregiver Program

Live-in caregivers are qualified individuals who provide care for children, the elderly or persons with disabilities in their respective employers’ private homes without supervision. This program makes it possible for live-in caregiver, who is a temporary Work Permit holder, to apply for permanent residence in Canada once the requirements of the program have been successfully met.

A live-in caregiver may apply for permanent residence if within the 4 years of arrival in Canada, the caregiver has:

completed 24 months of authorized full-time employment, or
accumulated a total of 3,900 hours of authorized full-time employment

An application for an Open Work Permit can be filed together with the application for a permanent residency. An Open Work Permit allows the permit holder to work for any employer. It is important to note that under this program, the live-in caregiver must live with the employer and is not permitted to work for anybody else aside from the employer stated in the Work Permit.

There are several steps for both employer and employee to follow to meet the requirements of the Live-In Caregiver Program. There are certain procedures for an employer to do before an application for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) for a live-in caregiver can be submitted to the Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC). Once a positive LMO has been issued, the live-in caregiver can apply for a Work Permit to the appropriate visa office.

If the live-in caregiver is working in the province of Quebec, a certificate d’acceptation du Québec (Certificate of acceptance) must be obtained.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will determine if the live-in caregiver is qualified under the program and is admissible to Canada before issuing a Work Permit. Processing times for Work Permit applications vary from which visa office the application was sent to.

Requirements of the Live-in Caregiver Program

Job confirmation letter from a Canadian employer issued by HRSDC

Signed employment contract by the employer and the live-in caregiver
Successful completion of the equivalent of Canadian high school education (12 years education)
Either:
- Training of at least 6 months in a classroom setting on a full-time basis.Training must be in the areas of early childhood education, geriatric care, pediatric nursing or first aid. OR
- At least 1 year of full-time paid work experience within the 3 years immediately before the day on which the application for a Work Permit as a caregiver is made
Good knowledge of English or French - Able to speak, read and understand either of these languages
A valid Work Permit before entering Canada

Kabayan Immigration assists employers in filing the LMO or E-LMO application. Once a positive LMO or E-LMO has been issued, we can also assist in the filing of the Work Permit application for the live-in caregiver. We also provide assistance in renewing a Work Permit, filing for an Open Work Permit and application for permanent residence.

Note:
Kabayan Immigration and Network Services Ltd. is not a recruitment nor a placement agency and we do not provide assistance in finding employment. We only assist in the process of obtaining a Work Permit for those who have already an existing job offer.

For more information, see RELATED LINKS or contact us.

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