Working temporarily in Canada: The Live-In Caregiver Program
Live-in caregivers are individuals who are qualified to provide care for
children, elderly persons or persons with disabilities in private homes
without supervision.
Live-in caregivers must live in the private home where
they work in Canada.
Both the employer and the employee must follow several
steps to meet the requirements of the Live-In Caregiver Program.
To work as a live-in caregiver in Canada, you must make
an application to the Live-In Caregiver Program.
If your application
is successful, you will receive a work permit.
To find out if you are
eligible for a live-in caregiver work permit, see information below.
If you want to work as a live-in caregiver in the province of Quebec,
you must obtain a certificate d’acceptation du Québec (Certificate of acceptance).
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Live-in caregiver can apply to become a permanent resident in Canada after 2 years of work as caregiver in Canada.
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Who can apply ?
You must meet certain requirements to be eligible for the Live-In Caregiver
Program in Canada.
You will need:
- A job confirmation letter from a Canadian employer
- A written contract with your future employer
- Successful completion of the equivalent of Canadian secondary school
- At least six months’ training, or at least
one year of full-time experience (including six months with one employer)
during the past three years
- Good knowledge of English or French
- A work permit before you enter Canada
A job confirmation letter from a Canadian employer
Your employer must apply to Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) to have their suggested job offer reviewed
and receive a positive job confirmation letter from HRSDC before hiring
you. HRSDC will review the job duties, working conditions, suggested pay
and so on to be sure that the job offer meets provincial labour standards
and that there are not enough Canadians or permanent residents available
to work as live-in caregivers in Canada. You will need a copy of this confirmation
letter when you apply for a work permit.
A written contract with your future employer
The written contract will ensure there is a fair working arrangement
between you and your employer. It explains clearly the responsibilities
you both have in your work arrangement.
You must live in Canada in the home of the person for whom you will provide
care. In the contract, you and your employer agree on duties, hours of
work, salary and benefits. The contract may also describe what legal
responsibilities your employer has toward you. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will review the contract
and make sure your employer’s job offer is genuine.
You need the contract as part of your application. A sample contract
appears below. Your contract does not have to look like this, but you
will get some ideas on how it might look and what it should contain.
Successful completion of Canadian secondary school education
You must have successfully completed the equivalent of Canadian high school
education (secondary school). Because of the differences in school systems
across Canada, it is not possible to give a precise number of years. In
most provinces, it takes 12 years of schooling to obtain a Canadian high
school diploma. The immigration officer assessing your application will
let you know what is needed.
At least six months’ training, or at least one year of full-time paid work experience in the past three years
To claim work experience, you need to have worked
for one year, including at least six months of continuous employment for the same
employer in a field or occupation similar to what you will do as a live-in caregiver.
This experience must have been within the three years immediately before the
day on which you make an application for a work permit as a caregiver.
To claim training, it must be full-time training in a classroom setting.
Areas of study could be early childhood education, geriatric
care, pediatric nursing or first aid.
Good knowledge of English or French
You must be able to speak, read and understand either English or French
so you can function on your own in your employer’s home. For
example, you must be able to call emergency services if they are needed,
and to understand labels on medication. You will be unsupervised for
most of the day and may have to communicate with someone outside the home.
You can also read and understand your rights and obligations if you can
function in English or French.