What is the In home Caregiver Program?

It came into an effect November 30.2014. The Caregiver Program includes two new pathways for permanent residence for foreign workers with experience as caregivers in Canada. This program is offered to applicants currently residing in Canada and is not offered to applicants outside of Canada.

Eligibility would be based on: Work experience: Minimum of two years of Canadian work experience as a home childcare provider, with a work permit.

Human capital criteria: A one-year completed Canadian post-secondary credential, or equivalent foreign credential, and language level of at least initial intermediate

Caring for People with High Medical Needs Pathway: A pathway to permanent residence for caregivers who have provided care for the elderly or those with disabilities or chronic disease at higher skill levels in health facilities or in a home.

Eligibility would be based on: Work experience: Minimum of two years of Canadian work experience as a registered nurse, registered psychiatric nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurse aide, orderly, patient service associate, home support worker or other similar occupation, with a work permit

Human capital criteria: A one-year completed Canadian post-secondary credential, or equivalent foreign credential, and an appropriate level of language proficiency to practice their occupation, ranging from initial intermediate to adequate intermediatee

Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot?

The Live-in Caregiver Program has bee replaced with the Childcare Provider Pilot Program. The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot are 5-year pilot programs that let qualified caregivers and their family members come to Canada with the goal of becoming permanent residents. There are few main requirements you will have to meet to qualify for a work permit under the Pilot Program:

• Education equal to a completed Canadian one-year post-secondary education credential or higher. This can be a degree, diploma, certificate or other proof of your educatio. This requirement will help to ensure that participants who apply for permanent residence after two years will be able to succeed in the general labour market. Studies indicate that the majority of new jobs in Canada require at least a high school education.

• Six months of full-time training or 12 months of experience in paid employment in a field or occupation related to the job you are seeking as a caregiver. You may have gained your training or experience in early childhood education (ECE), geriatric care, paediatric nursing , to name just a few areas ( au-pair). You may have completed your training as part of your formal education.
  In order to meet the criteria for experience, you must have completed one year of full-time paid employment in childcare field, including at least six months of continuous employment with one employer, in that field or occupation. This experience must have been obtained within the three years immediately prior to the day on which you submit an application for a work permit.

• Ability to speak read and understand either English or French. You must be able to function independently in a home setting. For example, you must be able to contact emergency services if required and to understand labels on medication. You will be unsupervised for most of the day and may be put in a position of having to communicate with someone outside the home. To prove your language skills in English or French, you need to take an approved language test ( CELPIP,IELTS for English or TEF for French). Your test results must be less than 2 years old when you apply.