Live-In Caregiver

The Live-In Caregiver Program (LIC) is offered and administered by the government of Canada and is the primary means by which foreign caregivers come to Canada as eldercare, special needs, and childcare providers. [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/index.asp Citizenship and Immigration Canada]

While such services are offered by Canadian citizens or foreign immigrants with Permanent Residence status (PR), government provisions for a room and board deduction as well as a basic rate of pay that frequently total provincial minimum wage standard allow for the program to be more affordable for many families.

Caregivers who come to Canada through the program are eligible to receive their PR status after as little as two years, provided conducive working conditions. For many, this stands as one of the motivations for participation.

Critics contend that as a means of boosting immigration to Canada, the program fails to attract caregivers from a diverse pool of countries. For example, the Philippine nanny is often improperly stereotyped as the program's main market for applicants. While there may be a large and functional industry in the Philippines to produce qualified applicants, individuals from nearly every nation can qualify. Some caregiver placement agencies are substantially broader through their international advertising and the use of immigration legal services. [http://elitecarecanada.com/services.php Elite Care Canada]

Standard qualifications are regulated federally, though conditions of employment are determined at a provincial level. Requirements include a minimum of 6 months of training or 1 year of compatible employment within the last 3 years - though various exceptions and additional stipulations do apply. [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/apply-who.asp Citizenship and Immigration Canada] Such regulations and complicating bureaucratic procedures are the driving force behind the creation of Live-In Caregiver (or Nanny) placement agencies, who act as a mediator between families, caregivers, and the government - providing support for documentation and advice on the program.