Live-In Caregiver Program

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The Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP, French: Programme des aides familiaux résidants) was an immigration program offered and administered by the government of Canada and was the primary means by which foreign caregivers could come to Canada as eldercare, special needs, and childcare providers. The program ended on November 30, 2014, and a regular work permit has been needed since then.^[1]

While such services were offered by Canadian citizens or foreign immigrants with permanent residence (PR) status, government provisions for a room and board deduction as well as a basic rate of pay that frequently total provincial minimum wage standard allowed for the program to be more affordable for many families. Caregivers who came to Canada through the program are eligible to apply for PR status after working a minimum of two years within four years of their arrival (plus 3 months). For many who would not otherwise qualify for PR status under any other category, this was one of the motivations for participation.

Standard qualifications were regulated federally, though conditions of employment were determined at a provincial level. Requirements included 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.^[2] 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.^[3]

In 2014, the Government of Canada conducted a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) report on the Live-in Caregiver program. This analysis led the government to identify issues in the program relating to the requirement that caregivers needed to maintain residency at the same address where they were employed.^[4] The 2020 Annual Report to Parliament by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship indicates that employees were subject to exploitation, abuse and isolation from their families as a result of this residency requirement.^[4]

The Live-in Caregiver program stopped accepting applications in 2014 due to a significant processing backlog of 27,000 applications.^[4] The government subsequently launched two pilot programs: Caring for Children Class and Caring for People with High Medical Needs. These programs ended the accommodation requirement, a major critique of the previous program. Following additional consultations, the government relaunched these programs in 2019, under the titles of Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot.^[5] These pilots will run for five years. The relaunch of these programs brought a few important changes from the previous pilots launched in 2014. Firstly, they aim to provide a clearer pathway from temporary resident status to permanent resident status. Additionally, these new programs provide open-work permits for spouses and study permits for dependent children. Lastly, the caregiving work permits are now occupation-specific rather than employer-specific, allowing employees to quickly transition to a different employer if necessary.^[4][5]