Being a Live-in Caregiver in Canada

Live-in Caregiver in Canada

For people who are interested in working in Canada, the government has come up with the Live-in Caregiver Program that allows people to work in private homes as a caregiver. If you can provide care to children, elderly persons or persons with disabilities, you can show interest in this program.

There are a set of rules to be followed by both the employer as well as you to have a successful contract under the LIC Program.

The Requirements to be Fulfilled by the Employee

• Have completed Canadian high school education or equivalent.
• Have 6 months of full-time training in a classroom or
• 1 year of full-time employment with 6 months of continuous employment under one employer.
• Be able to speak, read, write and understand either French or English to be able to easily communicate with the employer’s home setting.
• Have an employment contract clearly stated between him and the employer regarding hours of work, salary and job definition.
• Have a work permit to work in Canada
• A written contract with the employer, signed by both.

The Rules to be Complied by the Employer

• The employer must have tried his level best to first contact a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident to fill in the position. Only if he has been unable to find one he can go for the LIC Program.
• Must have sufficient funds to pay the caregiver.
• Must submit an application to the LMO (Labour Market Opinion) with a copy of the employer-employee contract to HRSDC (Human Resource and Skills Development Canada).

Additional Rules for the Employer and the Employee

• The employee or the Live-in caregiver compulsorily has to stay in the private home of the employer.
• And so, the employer must be able to provide suitable accommodation to the caregiver on his premises.
• If the caregiver is
• Unfit on health grounds
• Involved in violence, terrorism or subversion
• Violated any human rights
• Holding back any information

Needless to say, he will not be allowed to take part in the Live-in Caregiver program.

Now, all the lists that I have mentioned above are very brief. In order to avail the benefits of the program, you should contact an immigration firm. The qualifications are one thing, and the process is entirely another thing. What I am mentioning here is a brief overview of the steps involved. Detailed steps and troubleshooting can be done by an experienced immigration firm.

Steps to Start

• i. First, you must find an employer in Canada. No one, neither the visa office nor any placement agency, can assist you in locating one.
• ii. Once you have located a potential employer, you must ask him to request the HRSDC regarding the employment details.
• iii. HRSDC, after reviewing the plea, will send the employer an LMO (labour market opinion) that will showcase the effect of hiring a foreign worker on the labour market of Canada.
• iv. Now, the employer, after they go through the LMO, will send you a copy of it.
• v. There will be a contract signed by both the employer and you as the employee on what will be the job details, salary and benefits offered, accommodation information etc., specific to the province in which you will be working.
• vi. The rules and regulations, salary and other conditions will vary from province to province. Keep an eye on them as they are revised from time to time.

Other useful things to keep in mind:

• Being employed as a caregiver, you could be part of a family that is mostly educated and among the successful people of the town. This involvement with a Canadian family can help you mix with the Canadian culture with ease.
• Accommodation will completely be the responsibility of the employer, and I tell you, it is one of the most troublesome tasks to get a home in a new country.
• There are employment insurance benefits available if, in any case, you become unemployed.
• Best of all, after successfully working as a caregiver or nanny (that’s another term used for a caregiver), full time for two continuous years, you and your family can apply for permanent residency under the membership of IRPR (Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations).

Canada is a beautiful country, has economic prosperity, exercises social justice, varies in cultures, has the lowest crime rates, and even the best in Human rights deployment all over the world. The Live-in caregiver program can help you as a gateway to making a successful career in Canada.

We can Help You!

We have dealt with hundreds of immigration cases. We have helped our clients in their difficult situations and have guided them to draft a more effective applications. We can help you draft your application and arrange the required documents. A well-planned and complete application will increase your likelihood of acceptance and will save you from hassle.