How To Migrate To Canada As A Caregiver: Your Mini Guide

If you wish to migrate to Canada as a caregiver, you have four options to choose from. In addition, there are currently four immigration programs in operation that are made explicitly for caregivers.

Migrating to Canada as a caregiver can be a very complex process. Therefore, it is essential that you consider getting professional immigration help from experienced Canada Immigration Consultants. After all, the last thing you would want to be told is that your application is refused after a long period of waiting.

Caregiver Programs

Caregivers are people who offer support and required care for children, seniors, and other people in need of assistance. Unlike other countries in the world, Canada values caregivers. For this reason, the government has put together a wide array of programs to help caregivers find work and obtaining permanent residency within its borders.

There exist special, separate immigration programs under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) that allow people who reside in Canada to bring foreign workers into the country as caregivers. These programs include:

1. Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program & Home Support Worker Pilot Program
2. The Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP)
3. In-Home Caregiver Programs
4. Interim Pathway for Caregivers

There existed another program for caregivers known as the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots. However, it was replaced by Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Pilot Program on June 18, 2019.

In the upcoming section, we will take a look at these caregiver immigration programs in detail.

• Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Programs

You can now migrate to Canada as a caregiver through either of the two 5-year caregiver immigration pilot programs:

• Home Child Care Provider Pilot, and
• Home Support Worker Pilot.

The Home Child Care Provider Pilot was explicitly designed to attract caregivers with experience as Home Child Care Providers (NOC 4411) under temporary work permits. The program allows migrants to apply for permanent residence once they gain enough work experience. When this program first opened for application on June 18, 2019, nearly 2,750 candidates were welcomed to Canada along with their families.

Similarly, the Home Support Worker program is primarily aimed at caregivers who are experienced Home Support Workers (NOC 4412). Though the candidates will initially enter the country with temporary work permits, with experience, they will soon be able to apply for permanent residence.

• The Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP)

Earlier, caregivers who enter Canada were to live with the sponsoring family. Currently, this is no longer required. Though the Live-in Caregiver Program is closed to new applicants now, people who have migrated to Canada as a caregiver under this program can apply for permanent residence, if they have at least two years of work experience.

The primary difference between an in-home caregiver and a live-in caregiver is that the former works in a private residence, and the latter lives in a private residence, where they offer caregiver services.

• In-Home Caregiver Programs

As stated in the previous section, an in-home caregiver works in a private residence but doesn’t live there. The Canadian families and private household employers were to hire in-home caregivers under the federal caregiver programs through any of the In-Home Caregiver Pilot Programs.

• Caring for Children Program – This program is specifically tailored for caregivers who will take care of children aged 18 years or below. The caregiver can choose to live in or live out of the home.
• Caring for People with High Medical Needs Program – As the name suggests, this program is for caregivers who will look after people with high medical requirements. For instance, people aged 65 years or older, people with a chronic or terminal illness, or people with disabilities.

Though these two programs met their expiry on June 18, 2019, the IRCC will continue processing applications received before this date.

• Interim Pathway for Caregivers

The Interim Pathway for Caregivers was a temporary program that ran from March 4 to October 8, 2019. It permitted qualifying in-home migrant caregivers to secure permanent residence and bring their families to the country. Like with the previous program, the IRCC will process applications they received before that date.

Now, all these programs bring us to the big question,

What are the Eligibility Requirements to Migrate to Canada as a Caregiver?

Of the four programs listed above, the only two possible options you can apply for are the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program & Home Support Worker Pilot Program, and the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP)

Though the eligibility requirements for these programs vary, there are a few common criteria.

• You should have successfully completed Canadian high school education (secondary school), a foreign diploma, certificate, or an equivalent credential.
• Enough work experience as a caregiver in a job that matches your NOC code’s listed duties. If you are applying for the Live-in Caregiver Program, you must have work experience in Canada as a Home Child Care Provider or a Home Support Worker.
• A good knowledge of English or French so you can work around the employer’s house efficiently. Ideally, you should possess skills equivalents to NLCL (French Language) 5 or Canadian Languages Benchmark (CLB) 5 in four areas—reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Do you wish to migrate to Canada as a caregiver?

At Pelican Migration Consultants, we can make your migration journey simple. By leveraging our certified Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), you can improve your chances of success in the visa application process. Furthermore, we will also help you with expert advice at every step of the way. After all, there is a reason why we are known as the best immigration consultants in Dubai.

Our highly qualified RCICs are certified by the CICC to help you with your eligibility assessment, review your documents, fill your application forms, and submit them to the Canadian government on your behalf.

With all that support, why would you want to take the risk of having your application denied just because you sent across a form with incorrect information? Reach out to us and let us handle your move to Canada.