The Live in Caregiver Program is intended for individuals or families who are seeking someone (such as a nanny) who can provide care to children, the elderly or the disabled in a private household. Starting November 30, 2014, caregivers will have access to two new pathways to permanent residence.
- You may not hire a caregiver through the Live-in Caregiver Program if you have not applied for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before November 30, 2014.
- You may hire a foreign caregiver through the regular process of hiring a foreign worker if you successfully apply for an LMIA after November 30, 2014.
- Caregivers who are not part of the Live-in Caregiver Program are not required to live in the home of their employer. If the caregiver you are hiring agrees, a live-in arrangement may still be possible. The live-in arrangement must be specified in the LMIA application.
- You may hire a caregiver who is already part of the Live-in Caregiver Program and wants to continue working on a live-in basis. To do so, you need to get an LMIA and the caregiver needs to get a new work permit.
To hire a live-in caregiver through the Live-in Caregiver Program, you must:
- Make an effort to fill your position with a Canadian, a permanent resident or a foreign worker already in Canada
- Be able to pay them
- Give them acceptable living space in your home
- Make a job offer for caregiving duties for a child, an elderly person or a person with a disability
- Have applied for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Service Canada before November 30, 2014, including the employment contract. Service Canada will work with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to give you an LMIA.
You may also hire a caregiver who is already part of the Live-in Caregiver Program and wants to continue working on a live-in basis. To do so, you need to get a positive LMIA and the caregiver needs to get a new work permit. The live-in arrangement must be specified in the LMIA application. Care-giving must be the main responsibility of the job. A job offer for which the main duties are house cleaning, for example, is not acceptable under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP).