Caregivers Work Permits

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Immigration Canada) has closed the Live-in Caregiver program. A foreign national who wishes to come to Canada as a caregiver must now apply for a work permit under the regular work permit stream.

The new Caregiver program no longer requires a live-in component. The foreign national is free to live in their own accommodations.

There are multiple steps that must be taken by both the employer and foreign national prior to a work permit being issued under the Caregiver program:

1. Apply and receive a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

• A family or person who wishes to hire a foreign national to care for their children or a person with high medical needs must first apply for a LMIA
• Prior to filing the LMIA application, the position will need to be posted for a minimum four weeks to demonstrate that there are no Canadians or permanent residents available for the position 
• Service Canada will assess the LMIA application and will verify that the employer is eligible to participate and that the job offer is genuine

2. Apply for a work permit

• Once the positive LMIA confirmation is issued, the foreign national must apply for their work permit
• The foreign national will need to provide evidence to Immigration Canada that they meet the requirements of the position:
• Evidence of completed education
• Evidence of employment with past and current employers
• Evidence of French or English language capabilities
• In most situations, Immigration Canada will also request evidence from the employer in Canada, such as copies of Notice of Assessments, recent proof of employment of the employer and a letter from the employer confirming their need to employ a caregiver

Once a positive decision is issued by Immigration Canada, a foreign national must travel to Canada to have their work permit issued.