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The live-in caregiver program allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents to hire a foreign national to provide “live-in care.” All this is, is full-time in home care. If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and you require full-time care, then you may be eligible to apply to hire a foreign national to provide this care for you. This mutually beneficial for both the Canadian employer and the live-in care giver, this may help a foreign national find work and/ or achieve permanent residency in Canada. So, if you think you might be eligible to be a live-in caregiver, or if you might need to hire a foreign live-in caregiver, continue to read this blog for more information.
A live in caregiver is qualified person that can work without supervision in a private household. He or she is supposed to provide care for the elderly, children and or the disabled. The live-in caregiver does not necessarily need to live with the employer, but the employer is responsible for arranging the live-in caregiver’s place to stay. though. To begin, the live-in caregiver will enter Canada as a temporary foreign worker
In order to be eligible You must have:
· already made an effort to fill your position with a Canadian, a permanent resident or a foreign worker already in Canada,
· have enough income to pay them,
· be able to give them an acceptable living space in your home, or provide suitable living arrangements
· have a dependent child,
· be a person with a disability
· be an elderly person
If you have already tried to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to be your live-in caregiver, but have had no luck with this process, you may search for a temporary foreign worker and apply for a labor market impact assessment (LMIA). Once you receive a positive LMIA, then, you must submit your application for the live-in caregiver program with all the necessary documentation from both the employer and the potential caregiver. A positive LMIA indicates there is in fact no Canadian available for the job, so you need to find a foreign national to fill the position. Please note, there are specific things the employer of the live-in caregiver must do, to comply with the requirements set out in the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA) regarding live-in caregivers. These are as follows, and must be included in the employer’s application:
•Description of working conditions of the live-in caregiver
•Agree on contract to pay wages similar to that which a Canadian would be paid
•Detailed and described occupation requirements in the caregiver’s contract
•Advertise/ make an effort to recruit a Canadian before going to search for a foreign worker
•Provide a bedroom description for the live-in caregiver on contract
•Because you are now an employer, you must actually register as a business and provide a Canada revenue agency's notice of assessment copy
•Also agree on contract to employer paid benefits specific to live-in caregivers,
•The employer should provide proof that the dependent is in need of care
Applicants are subject to many requirements to be eligible for the live-in caregiver program:
· They must have completed an equivalent of Canadian high school education successfully.
· They must have gone through a minimum of six months in class training or have twelve months of full time experience.
· Applicants must be able to speak, read and understand French or English at a level which allows them to work or function independently in the private home setting
· You must pass a medical examination test,
· You must provide a police clearance from your country of origin indicating you have no criminal history.
· Finally, you'll need a work permit before you can enter and start working in Canada. If your application is successful and you are permitted to join the live-in caregiver program, you will be granted a closed work permit, and can begin working for your new employer in Canada!
Under the live-in caregiver category, there are some specific requirements regarding the length of time an individual must have been in Canada as a live-in caregiver, to be eligible for permanent residency. These are as follows:
· You must have completed 24 months of authorized full-time employment as a live-in caregiver within four years from the date you entered Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program
· You must have completed a total of 3,900 hours (within a minimum of 22 months which may include a maximum of 390 hours of overtime) of authorized full-time employment as a live-in caregiver within four years from the date you entered Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program.
There are a variety of other things which must be included in an individual’s application for permanent residence under the live-in caregiver program. Immigration officers will necessarily consider things such as your initial application for the live-in caregiver program. They will ensure you entered Canada on completely truthful grounds. At the same time, any partner or dependents an individual has will be assessed to ensure no one is criminally inadmissible or has a serious medical problem. Please understand, when an immigration officer is assessing your truthfulness on your original application for a live-in caregiver work permit, they will be expecting that you declared any dependents or family members on the initial application. If you fail to do this, you will likely be accused of misrepresentation in your application for permanent residence, and this may result in the refusal of your application.
Akrami and Associates have dealt with hundreds of Live in Caregiver Application cases. We have helped our clients in their difficult situations and have guided them to draft a more effective application. We can help you draft your application and arrange the required documents. A well-planned and complete application will increase your likelihood of acceptance and will save your from hassle. Please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advise.
With Akrami and Associates, there is always a way!
