New Caregiver Programs take effect today. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made changes to the In-Home Caregiver Program. These changes affect how employers hire caregivers and what is required as part of the approval process for both employers and caregivers. As of June 18, 2019 employers who are hiring caregivers from overseas are no longer required to submit an Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) application for approval. Any LMIA application that was submitted on or before June 17, 2019 will continue to be processed and work permits for those caregivers will still continue to process as well. Caregivers who are currently in Canada on work permits that require extensions or those that are changing employers will require new LMIAs and new work permits.
There are now 2 new caregiver streams to consider when applying to hire a caregiver from overseas. Employers should consider starting early as it is expected to take about 12 months for a caregiver to arrive in Canada on a work permit.
Home Child Care Provider pilot (NOC 4411)
Home Support Worker pilot (NOC 4412)
General Program Requirements for Employers and Caregivers
- Employers will need to complete the job offer form
- Caregivers will need to submit an application for permanent residence along with a work permit application
- Caregivers can also apply for their spouses and children to accompany them to Canada and can obtain open work permits and study permits
- Caregivers must meet the eligibility criteria before applying for permanent residence, if eligible they will receive work permits to come to Canada
- Work permits will be valid for 3 years and will give the caregiver the opportunity to complete 24 months of full-time work as a caregiver
- Processing time can take up to 1 year for work permits to be issued.
- After the caregiver completes 24 months of work he/she will need to submit proof and their PR application will be finalized.
These new applications will require careful preparation by an authorized representative. It is strongly recommended that caregivers hire an authorized representative to ensure that their application will qualify and that they will achieve their goal of work permits and then eventually permanent residency in Canada.
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