Caregiver

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.

Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), families can hire foreign caregivers.

However, the 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 Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)/Service Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

These families or private household employers will be able to hire foreign workers, on a live-in or live out basis, for 2 categories of in-home workers, which include:

  1. Caregivers for children
  • Children under 18 years of age

This category could include positions such as:

  • Child care provider, live-in caregiver, nanny (NOC 4411) 
  1. Caregivers for people with high medical needs
  • elderly persons, 65 years of age or over
  • People with disabilities, a chronic or terminal illness.

This category could include positions such as:

  • Registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC 3012)
  • Licensed practical nurse (NOC 3233)
  • Attendant for persons with disabilities, home support worker, live-in caregiver, personal care attendant (NOC 4412)

Following are the requirements for the Live-in caregiver program:

  • Must be able to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from a Canadian employer
  • A written employment contract describing job duties, hours of work, wages, accommodation arrangements, medical insurance coverage from the date of arrival until eligible to obtain provincial health insurance, and termination and resignation terms
  • Canadian diploma or degree or equivalent foreign studies
  • A minimum of six months’ training or one year of full-time work experience as a caregiver
  • Language proficiency test in English or French
  • A work permit before entering Canada.