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Ontario|Immigration LawGeneral Information 663 Bringing a live-in caregiver to Canada People in Canada are allowed to bring foreign workers into the country to work as live-in caregivers through a special immigration program. Both the employer and the caregiver must satisfy several requirements to be approved for the Live-in Caregiver Immigration Program.
A live-in caregiver is someone who provides unsupervised care for children, the elderly, or the disabled in a private household. Live-in caregivers are allowed to work in Canada, and after two years of full-time employment they can apply to become permanent residents.
Employers who would like to hire a caregiver from outside Canada should contact a Canada Immigration Centre. Immigration officers may ask the employer to show that they made a reasonable effort to hire a Canadian or a foreign worker who is already in Canada. The employer must have sufficient income to pay a live-in caregiver, and they must provide reasonable accommodations for the caregiver in the employer's home.
Employers must find their own caregivers. You can find foreign caregivers through advertisements, personal contacts, or hiring agencies. Once you have found a suitable caregiver, you should contact an Immigration Centre to have your offer of employment assessed.
When the employer's offer of employment has been approved by the Immigration office, it will be sent to a visa office in the caregiver's home country, and the caregiver will be contacted by the visa office. The visa office will determine whether the caregiver can participate in the program. To be eligible, caregivers must have completed the equivalent of a Canadian high school education. They must have six months of full-time training or have twelve months of paid work experience in a job related to the work they will do as a live-in caregiver. Caregivers must also be able to speak, read, and understand either English or French. If the caregiver is eligible to come to Canada, they will be issued an Employment Authorization document allowing them to enter Canada and to work as a caregiver.
Caregivers will have to pay for a medical exam, a passport, travel expenses, and an application fee. Caregivers can apply at a Canadian consulate, embassy, or high commission outside Canada. Caregivers may also need a visitor's visa, depending on the country they are coming from.
After the caregiver has worked full-time for two years as a live-in caregiver, they are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada. Caregivers may include their dependents on their application for permanent residence. The caregiver and all of the caregiver's dependents must pass a security check and a medical exam.
You can obtain more information about the Live-in Caregiver Program from a Canada Immigration Centre or from an immigration lawyer.
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