Caregiver Program
Canada has reformed its caregiver immigration stream for permanent residence. Canada is currently running two pilot programs for five years for caregivers who wish to obtain permanent residence status. The pilots will replace the Live-In-Care program.
THe two pathways are
The Skilled Worker Stream
Home Support Worker
No Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required for the pilots.
Benefits of the Pilot Programs
The pilot programs, which replace the Live-in-Care program provide opportunity for you to come to Canada with your family members.
Both streams give applicants the opportunity to obtain temporary Work Permits while they wait for a decision on their permanent residence application
Your spouse and dependents can also obtain an Open Work Permit.
Caregivers, rejoice!
Effective April 30, 2023, caregivers must now have 12 months of full-time work experience before applying for PR.
The previous requirement of 24 months of work experience to qualify for PR has been replaced by this policy.
For caregivers who have already applied, the change in work experience will be retroactive.
Home Child Care Provider
Home childcare providers assist busy parents in caring for their children and may be required to assist with household duties. Care can be provided in either the employee's or their employer's home.
This pilot is open to applicants interested in positions such as:
- Babysitter
- Au pair
- Private home child caregiver
- Nanny
- Parent’s helper
- Foster parent
- Child caregiver in a public setting such as a gym or shopping centre
Home Support Worker
Home support worker program is intended to assist senior citizens, people with disabilities, and people undergoing rehabilitation.
Preparing meals, feeding, bathing, changing dressings, administering medications, and other routine housekeeping duties are some of the responsibilities home support workers do.
Positions under the Home Support Worker pilot include;
Persons with disabilities who require at-home assistance
Caregiver in the family
Home health aide
Housekeeper
Live-in caregivers for seniors
Personal assistant (home support)
Attendant for personal care (home care)
Employee on leave (home support)
Doula
Home visitor (infant care)
The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker offer permanent residence pathway to caregivers who meet the following criteria;
- Starting April 30, 2023, you must have at least 12 months of full-time qualifying work experience in the last 36 months before submitting your application
- Language proficiency tests results of Canadian Language Benchmark of 5
- One year of Canadian post-secondary education or foreign equivalent
- Must not be inadmissible (health, criminality, and security)
- Must have qualifying experience
Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4411 may be eligible for permanent residence under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot;
- Applicants must care for children under the age of 18 in your home or the home of your employer
- Applicants do not need to live in your employer’s home to be eligible
- Work experience as a foster parent does not count
Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4412 (excluding housekeepers) may be eligible for permanent residence through the Home Support Worker Pilot:
- You must have cared for someone who requires the assistance of a home support worker. This could have happened at your house or at your employer's house.
- You do not have to live in your employer's house to be eligible.
- Only home care workers are eligible for NOC 4412.
- Experience as a housekeeper does not count
Language Levels
You must provide proof of English or French language proficiency from an accredited agency with CLB or NCLC 5 in all four language skills: writing, reading, listening and speaking.
Education
You must have completed at least one year of post-secondary education or training certification. This can be either a Canadian or foreign education equivalent confirmed by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
Other Option to Hire a Caregiver
As a caregiver, you may be able to come to Canada through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) if you receive a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from a Canadian employer. In this scenario, the foreign caregiver must apply for a regular Work Permit.
Under TFWP, families can hire a foreign caregiver to provide care, in a private residence, to children, seniors or persons with certified medical needs, when Canadians and permanent residents are not available.
However, caregivers must:
- Provide care on a full-time basis (minimum 30 hours per week)
- Work in the private household where the care is being provided
- Meet the requirements set by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and the Minister of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada
These families or private household employers will be able to hire foreign workers, on a live-in or live out basis, for 2 types of in-home workers, which include:
Caregivers for children
who are under 18 years of age
- Positions could include childcare provider, nanny, babysitter, parent’s helper (NOC 44100)
Caregivers for people with high medical needs
such as
- Elderly persons who are 65 years of age or over
- People with disabilities, chronic or terminal illness
- Positions in this category include registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC 31301)
- Licensed practical nurse (NOC 32101)
- Attendant for persons with disabilities, home support worker, live-in caregiver, personal care attendant (NOC 44101)