Want to be caregiver

Hi Mrs Ffolkes-Abrahams,

I hold a certificate as a nursing assistant. Do you have any information on the Live-in Caregiver Programme?

Is there a website that I could visit?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Hello,

The Live-in Caregiver Programme is a popular programme whereby individuals who qualify are able to migrate to Canada with a work permit, and after two years of full-time employment, apply for Permanent Residence Status.

As you have indicated, you have a certificate as a nursing assistant. You are already ahead, as your certificate should help you qualify for the programme. As a live-in caregiver, you may provide care for elderly persons, children and the disabled.

Important distinction

The important distinction is live-in caregivers provide care within the home where they work and live.

In order for you to qualify for the live-in caregiver programme, you must have a job offer from an employer in Canada that has been approved by Human Resources Development Canada. Next, you must have a signed written contract from your employer. The programme requires you completing high school. You indicated you hold a certificate as a nursing assistant. Immigration Canada requires your training must be at least for six months. You must also pass an English test and apply for a work permit after obtaining the positive Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from your employer.

The employment contract is very important, and there is a form that both you and the employer must sign. The form indicates your benefits, your hours of employment, your duties, salary, working conditions, insurance, accommodation, holiday and sick leave, termination information, transportation to Canada and recruitment fees to agents. By law, recruitment fees are to be borne by the employer and you should not be charged recruitment fees by an agency.

You will require a valid Jamaican passport, a Labour Market Opinion confirmation letter and your job contract in order to apply for a work permit. You may need to do security checks and a medical examination.

You can download your application for the work permit from the website.

Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams is a barrister and solicitor of the bars of Jamaica and Ontario Canada. She is a former counsel at the Ontario Human Rights Commission and past president of the Jamaican Diaspora Canada Foundation. Email: info4immigration@gmail.com or editor@gleanerjm.com