Overview

The Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) facilitates a transition to Canadian permanent residence for qualified individuals wanting to work in Canada as live-in caregivers. Live-in caregivers are individuals who are qualified to provide care for children, elderly persons or persons with disabilities in private homes without supervision. Live-in caregivers must live in the private home where they work in Canada.

Get a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from your future employer

The first step is for your employer to submit a request and applicable fee for an LMO to Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (ESDC/SC). If all the ESDC/SC requirements are met, your employer will be issued a positive LMO.

The positive LMO confirms that:

• there is a need for this job in Canada and the employer can proceed to hire a foreign worker to do it; and
• the wages and working conditions offered by the employer meet provincial employment standards and are equivalent to the wages paid to Canadians in the same occupation.

ESDC/SC will advise your employer to send you a copy of the positive LMO and the employment contract.

Sign a written contract with your future employer

You and your employer must sign a written employment contract.

Your employer will send you a copy of the employment contract and the positive LMO. You must submit the signed contract, together with the positive LMO issued to your employer, with your work permit application.

This must be the same employment contract submitted to ESDC/SC by your employer, unless you provide an explanation of any changes (for example, a new start date).

The written employment contract will ensure there is a fair working arrangement between you and your employer. The employment contract must demonstrate that the LCP requirements are met by including a description of:

• mandatory employer-paid benefits, including:
  • transportation to Canada from your country of permanent residence or the country of habitual residence to the location of work in Canada
  • medical insurance coverage provided from the date of your arrival until you are eligible for provincial health insurance
  • workplace safety insurance coverage for the duration of employment
  • all recruitment fees, including any amount payable to a third-party recruiter or agents hired by the employer that would otherwise have been charged to you
• job duties
• hours of work
• wages
• accommodation arrangements (including room and board)
• holiday and sick leave entitlements
• termination and resignation terms

A contract template along with the guide for completion is available on the Service Canada website. Your contract does not have to look exactly like this, but it must contain all the information and clauses indicated as mandatory.

The use of an alternative contract format may delay the processing of the LMO application as ESDC/SC officers will need to determine if the contract complies with the LCP requirements.

Note: the contract template is different for the province of Quebec.

Please Contact Us for more information on this program.