If you are a caregiver interested in immigrating to Canada, you have two Caregiver programs that may allow you to get Permanent Residence and settle in Canada. The home support worker and the Child-care provider program.
In the past, Foreign caregivers coming to work in Canada couldn’t bring their close family members to live with them in Canada. Therefore, they should leave them behind to have a more straightforward pathway for their permanent status. However, nowadays, any new caregiver program (Home Support Worker or Home Child Care provider) allows them to bring their families.
Home Support Worker or Home Child Care Provider
These two caregiver programs opened in 2019, replacing the expired and past programs criticized for keeping some employees stuck in a non-healthy workplace with their families abroad.
Another big improvement of the Home Support Worker and the Home Child Care Provider is that employees now receive an occupation-specific work permit instead of an employer-specific work permit. Therefore, you can change employers if necessary.
Also, to guarantee caregivers will qualify to get permanent residence, IRCC will only give you a work permit if you hold a job offer in Canada and satisfy the criteria of any economic immigration programs.
So, suppose you are a successful candidate under any caregiver program. In that case, you will be able to start earning the demanded two years of Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residence.
The Home Child Care Provider and the Home Support Worker Caregiver Program Benefit.
- They give occupation-specific work permits. It means that employees can change employers if they need it.
- Close family members will receive open work permits and or study permits. That way, they can come together and qualify for PR.
- It offers a clear and straightforward transition from temporary to permanent residency status. Ensuring that after a person meets the criteria under a caregiver program, they will be qualified to become Canadian permanent residents.
- Employers no longer need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire a foreign caregiver.
Overall, both programs offer international caregivers and their families a direct pathway to permanent residence.
Caregiver Program in Canada – Application Time
Applications under both programs have a 12-month processing time for work permits. Then, permanent residence applications take up to 6 months after the caregiver submits the complete application.
Work as a Caregiver in Canada
If you are a caregiver, Canada is one of the best places to live. Indeed, this country has an enormous demand for child and home caregivers. Due to this reason, we have the Home Child Care Provider and the Home Support Worker caregiver program to support nannies and personal aides to fill various essential positions.
So, if it is your favourite option to come to Canada, your first step is to find a job as a caregiver. A valid job offer must be from a Canadian employer who wishes to employ for at least 30 hours per week.
Where to Find a Caregiver Job?
To make it easier, you should look in the right places. Currently, caregivers are most in-demand in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Yukon. So, the first option you can use is to filter your search according to those locations.
Also, you can use employee placement agencies to help you match with your most suitable caregiver job and program. Moreover, you should keep in mind the position you will look for. Then, based on your profile, you can look for a nanny, au-pair, caregiver, babysitter, or housekeeper. Sometimes they can be the same, but you can look at all of them to find more available options.
If you decide to go for an agency, it’s essential to know that they won’t apply for your work permit on your behalf. They are just a connection to help you find a valid job offer for this position. After that first step, you need to apply for your work permit to IRCC.
However, to make your job permit application, only Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) or immigration lawyers may provide this service. At mana immigration, we have all the licenses, knowledge and experience to help have a successful application.
Requirements to be a Caregiver in Canada
A good tip for finding a job under a caregiver program in Canada is to have formal training. Employers and job placement agencies are more interested in hiring caregivers with proper training and previous work experience. Also, ensure to add references and recommendations from your past employer.
Overall, caregivers deliver essential to children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. For example, Canada’s aging population means many seniors are currently looking for caregivers. Also, working parents are hiring child caregivers to watch their children when they need extra help.
Work Permit Under The Caregiver Program
As mentioned before, caregivers under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or the Home Support Worker Pilot can apply for an occupation-restricted open work permit. It is an open work permit that allows you to work for any employer. But only in that particular occupation specified. However, it also means that employers no longer support travel expenses. Then, applicants are responsible for all costs associated with their application.
Also, besides the job offer, you will need to take a language test to prove your skills, either in English or French, and hold a post-secondary education qualification of at least 1-year.
If your education was abroad, you need to get your educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an approved organization such as World Education Services (WES). However, even if you don’t have the required education but have the experience, you can still qualify for a caregiver program. Depending on your case, it would be a Home Support Worker or a Child Care Provider.
From Caregiver Program to Permanent Residence
To do the complete process, you should know that once you apply for the work permit, at the same time, you are applying for permanent residence. Therefore, IRCC will put the PR application on hold until you accumulate enough work experience.
So, your countdown begins as soon as you find a job and meet all of the requirements! You need at least 24 months of work experience before IRCC decides on your permanent residence application. In fact, it doesn’t need to be 24 months in a row. It needs to be just 24 months total. One more tip, to make your application faster and straightforward, ensure you have all the documents required to prove your 24 months of work experience.
