Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
www.hrsdc.gc.ca
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Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Live-in Caregiver Program
Employing foreign live-in caregivers when Canadian workers or permanent residents are not available, can help families care for children, the elderly or persons with disabilities.
Employers who want to hire live-in caregivers must apply to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada/Service Canada for a labour market opinion. A Labour Market Opinion assesses what impact hiring a foreign worker would have on Canada's labour market.
A foreign live-in caregiver who wants to work in Canada must have received a job offer from a Canadian employer and apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for a work permit. The caregiver's application must include proof that the employer received a positive Labour Market Opinion from Service Canada.
Live-in caregivers who want to extend their stay in Canada must apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for an extension to their work permit. They can apply for a permanent resident visa if they worked in Canada for 24 months within a 36-month period.
You must agree to the following conditions if you want to hire a live-in caregiver. He/she must:
- Work for you in a private home
- Live with you, the employer
- Have a private, furnished room within your home
- Be employed on a full-time basis
- Meet the requirements set by Citizenship and Immigration Canada for language, education and work skills necessary to function in the Canadian labour market.
A live-in caregiver cannot:
- Work for more than one employer at a time; and
- Work for a health agency or labour contractor, or in day care or foster care.
If you agree to all the conditions mentioned above, you can apply to Service Canada for a labour market opinion. The opinion will assess the impact hiring the live-in caregiver would have on Canadian jobs.
Some countries may require that their citizens meet certain conditions if they want to work in Canada as live-in caregivers (e.g. approval to leave the country, employer to pay transportation costs and/or medical coverage). Ask your live-in caregiver to verify if additional conditions apply in his/her country, contact the country's consulate in Canada or check its website to find out if you must meet additional requirements.
