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 (LCP).
Following Changes to Canada’s Caregiver Program took effect on November 30, 2014.
You have not worked in Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program and your employer’s Labour Market Impact Assessment application was received by Service Canada
after November 30, 2014:
- You must apply for a regular work permit.
- You have not worked in Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program and your employer’s Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application was received by Service Canada or before November 30, 2014:
you may apply for a Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) work permit (instructions are on this page).
- If you already have a LCP work permit and you want to extend it or change jobs to work with another employer who agrees to a live-in arrangement:
o you may apply for a Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) work permit.
- If you choose to live out of your employer’s home, you will be leaving the Live-in Caregiver Program:
o You will need to apply for a regular work permit. Your current or future employer will need a new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before you apply.
o The work you do on a live-out basis may count towards the work requirement in order to apply through either the Caring for Children or Caring for People with High Medical Needs pathway.
must meet certain requirements to be eligible for the Live-in Caregiver Program in Canada.
You will need:
A positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from an employer in Canada
Before hiring you, your employer must have:
- applied to Employment and Social Development Canada / Service Canada (ESDC/SC) before November 30, 2014 to have their job offer reviewed; and
- received a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from ESDC/SC.
If the employer receives a positive LMIA, you will be able to live in the home of your new employer and be able to apply for permanent residence through the LCP when you have met the work requirement.
ESDC/SC will assess your employer’s job offer and the employment contract to be sure that it meets the requirements for wages and working conditions and the provincial/territorial labour and employment standards, and that there are no Canadians or permanent residents available to do the work. If ESDC/SC finds the job offer acceptable, they will issue a positive LMIA to your employer.
You will need to submit a copy of the positive LMIA when you apply for a work permit.
Written contract with your future employer, signed by you and the employer
You and your future employer are legally required to sign a written employment contract. You must submit the signed contract with your work permit application. This must be the same employment contract submitted to ESDC/SC by your employer, unless you provide an explanation of any changes (for example, a new start date).
The written employment contract will ensure there is a fair working arrangement between you and your employer.
The employment contract must demonstrate that the Live-in Caregiver Program requirements are met by including a description of:
- mandatory employer-paid benefits, including:
- transportation to Canada from your country of permanent residence or the country of habitual residence to the location of work in Canada
- medical insurance coverage provided from the date of your arrival until you are eligible for provincial health insurance.
- workplace safety insurance coverage for the duration of the employment
- all recruitment fees, including any amount payable to a third-party recruiter or agents hired by the employer that would otherwise have been charged to you.
- job duties
- hours of work
- wages
- accommodation arrangements (including room and board)
- holiday and sick leave entitlements
- termination and resignation terms
Completion of the equivalent of a 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 as a caregiver or in a related field or occupation (including six months with one employer) 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. This work experience must be in a field or occupation specific to what you will do as a live-in caregiver. This experience must have been acquired 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 have been 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 that 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.