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The Live-In Caregiver Program Is Closed For New Applicants. What Does It Mean?

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A few days ago I’ve been informed by a reader about the status of the Live-in Caregiver Program.

“The Live-in Caregiver Program is closed for new applicants. If you don’t already have a LCP work permit and would like to work as a caregiver in Canada, you must apply for a regular work permit.”

Update: 2 pathways for caregivers will end on November 29, 2019. Submit the permanent residency application before the date.

The next best thing a blogger can do is to update a relevant blog post.

So I updated How to Apply as Caregiver in Canada from the Philippines and move on with other “to write overdue post” list.

In the back of my mind I knew I have to do more than that.

I ignored the thought till a reader asked “What does the change in the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) means for new applicants.”

Good, significant question cannot be ignored anymore. Really, what happens next?

Live-in Caregiver Program is Closed

I have to put myself in the shoe of a caregiver applicant years ago, staring at the future of the Live-in Caregiver Program, in order to answer this important questions leading to more questions.

  • If the Live-in Caregiver Program is closed how can a caregiver apply for permanent residence? Is it still possible?
  • What replaced the Live-in Caregiver Program?
  • For new applicants, is it still worth it to apply as a caregiver in Canada?

More questions will arise as I go through writing the post. Some will have answers. Others will have to rely on time and changes in immigration policy.

Either way, have patience. We’ll get to the bottom of this.

Changes in the Live-in Caregiver Program

Stay with me because I have to review the past changes in the program before we can understand why the Live-in Caregiver Program is closed and what direction is it headed.

I hope things will make sense because I am also confused and concerned of the many changes, while there’s still a backlog in granting permanent residency.

Since November 30, 2014 two new pathways were created for the application of permanent residence:

  • Caring for children
  • Caring for people with high medical needs

Those who came to Canada as caregivers can still apply for permanent residency through old process under the Live-in Caregiver Program if they prefer to do so.

Otherwise, they have to meet the qualifications for permanent residency under the two new pathways which have more requirements in terms of work experience and language proficiency.

The Effect of the Changes

I hope you are not getting lost. Bear with me here.

If I were a caregiver, I’ll definitely apply for permanent residency through LCP and open work permit at the same time, so I can submit the application and the processing can start immediately.

Till this day, I’m not sure how the processing is handled.

(Old application first; first in first out. New application first; last in first out. Make a guess.)

It would be nice if the immigration can release a report on how many have taken the two new pathways for caregivers.

What New Caregiver Applicants Should Know

Since the Live-in Caregiver Program is closed as of this writing and we’re not sure if it will reopen, lesser people will apply for permanent residency under the LCP.

Is it easier to conclude that the Live-in Caregiver Program has ended which is somewhat predicted in a Metronews article in 2015?

So with the demise (just an assumption) of LCP, what will happen to the new caregiver applicants?

It’s frustrating but I CANNOT find a direct answer. I had to jump from one pages to another to make sense of what is going on.

This is not an authoritative answer and do correct me if I’m wrong.

The new caregiver applicants can apply for a regular work permit. OK so Canada is still accepting applicants there’s nothing to worry about.

After working for 24 months in Canada, new caregivers can apply for permanent residency through the two new pathways which I’ve mentioned at the beginning of the post.

If you have work experience in Canada as a home child care provider, you may be able to apply for permanent residence through the Caring for Children Program.

Or

If you have work experience in Canada caring for people with high medical needs, you may be able to apply for permanent residence through the Caring for People with High Medical Needs Program.

Caregivers can still apply for permanent residency that’s one thing for sure.

Tip: If you are applying or thinking of applying make sure to check the permanent residency requirements for each path so you can apply for PR after completing the 24-month employment requirement and other conditions.

In the past, caregivers can take care of children or elderly while meeting the same requirements.

The good news is you don’t have to worry about the cumulative duration (4 years) limit to apply for permanent residency.

Before the change in policy, temporary foreign workers should have applied for PR within 4 years; otherwise, they have to leave Canada once the work permit is no longer valid.

What You Should Focus On Instead

We are getting near the end of the post and the most crucial part.

I get this question a lot but I hesitate to answer. It is more important than the different pathways for caregivers.

Should I still APPLY as a caregiver in Canada? Will I be hired? Is it worth it?

Maybe now you would understand why I can’t give a straightforward answer.

I knew how long and tedious the tasks are in applying as a caregiver from studying, practicum, to getting the required documents. (It’s all coming back to me now. I’m not singing. Just trying to make things less intense yet still significant.)

Not to mention the costs of tuition fees, authorization, medical fees, etc.

Le’s not forget that there are employee and employer costs. The employer has to pay $1,000.00 for Labour Market Impact Assessment.

If you are the employer, would you be willing to pay that much for the application of LMIA which is not refundable?

This is the advice of the immigration for employers who wants to hire a caregiver:

You must FIRST try to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in the available job. When you apply to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for permission to hire a foreign worker, you will be asked to show what efforts you made in this regard.

Click here for the detailed information.

Excuse the capitalization.

Is this the reason of the decline of application to hire foreign caregivers?

And even if a positive LMIA is released, there’s NO guarantee that the applicant can get a visa to go to Canada and have an interview at the airport for the work permit.

Should hiring foreign caregivers be formally stopped to spare the applicants and employers the trouble of spending time, money, effort, and hope?

Final Thoughts

Honesty doesn’t come easily. What do the immigration wants to do to the caregiving program?

Making changes (that are more of disadvantages) bit by bit makes people anxious.

I am personally grateful for the Live-in Caregiver Program and wish future applicants to equally benefit or even more from it.

With whatever was discussed in this post, may you be able to make an informed decision after weighing facts and conditions.

Take your time. And once you decide remember that nothing WORTH pursuing is easy.

I haven’t written a personal blog post for a long time. I’m glad I did because this kind of thoughts can open up a conversation. I would love to know your ideas and experiences in the comment.

What do you think of the changes in the Live-in Caregiver Program?

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Comments

  1. Hello,

    I just want to inquire on what school did you studied your care giving program? I have been reading reviews about centers or schools that are TESDA accredited but they are not in the standards of the Canadian Embassy. I do not want to waste months of studying this program and at the end it will just be rejected. Please give me good suggestions to where I can study caregiving program in Manila or nea Quezon city. It will be a big help. Please. Thank you.

    • Hi Robelle. I can’t say the caregiver school I graduated from since I’m not sure if that school still has the same standard as it was years ago since issues arose in the succeeding months after my graduation. To help you get started in your search, I recommend you to look for TESDA accredited caregiver school and have a visit. You may also ask the alumni about their experience. As with the Canadian Embassy standard, I’m not exactly sure what you mean by it. Check the duration of classes in school and practicums since the accumulative hour is a huge factor in the requirements. Good luck.

  2. Hi. I have all my requirements for caregiver in canada and my employer is my sister and she’s a Canadian citizen already for almost 20 yrs. She told me that my task is to take care of her son first week of December 2017 they will start for the application for my LMIA and other req. And I’ve been longing for this opportunity and hope all of this turns out positive with the guidance of the lord. Can you share your thoughts on this mam thank you and God Bless.

    • Are you already here in Canada Glicer? It’s good for you if the application will be process in December but much better if the application is submitted sooner. So you can find out the decision.

    • Blood relation is irrelevant in hiring a caregiver but from what I observed it is getting harder to hire a foreign caregiver. Then again it’s hard to tell what the decision of CIC will be.

  4. Hi! I just want to ask if my sister can still use her work experience in Hong Kong to apply as caregiver in Canada. Her work experience was about 10 years ago. Thanks!

  5. Hi, I am a graduate of caregiver and I applied in LCP program back year 2013 but I was denied because their first reason is that they are not satisfied that I am able to understand and speak English. And as far as I know that year IELts was never a requirements once you applied for the said program. I have a friend who also applied on the same year no IELTS, no caregiver experience but he was able to pass and visa was granted to him. So now I wanted to re-apply again but would they still consider that my OJT certificates were dated year 2013? Next month I will take IELTS examination, and I will attend red cross training for healthcare and currently I am a caregiver volunteer. Do you think all my credentials are enough for me to pass?

    Thanks.

    • If you meet the requirements Yep then you’re good to go. But, it’s still up to the officer who will decide for your application. It’s up to them and till this day, it still baffled me on what is the basis of approval. Meeting all the requirements or something else?

  6. I just wanted to contribute to this post – I am an employer in Canada. My husband has a niece who is a registered nurse sa pinas – we have processed for her to come over and take care of our 7y old daughter. We processed the LMIA (at a cost of CAD 1000) and then she applied for a general work permit – the process for granting of this took 7 weeks – the requirements for the application were very much the same as for the LCP before (I know this as we have hired under this program previously) – ie to prove either training/qualification or work experience in the field plus the usual security screening Canada applies to all applicants – since she was a pediatric nurse – this was relatively easy to do. So it seems, if it all works out – that the application time for a work visa is quicker now than under the LCP – presumably because there are fewer applications. Since it seemed almost certain she would qualify – she did an “upfront” medical – which can be done for a general work permit and maybe this helped make the processing time shorter – but it is a risk at an expense – since if you do not qualify, you will have wasted that money. Just throwing this out there for those that feel despondent – there is still hope – but you have to be qualified and organised 🙂 Good luck at huwag mawalan ng pag-asa (sorry my Tagalog sucks – I am actually a white South African born Canadian immigrant – so I “get” the immigration frustration)

    • Hi Shaun. Thanks for the information. Your story definitely gives an idea to caregiver applicants from outside Canada on what to do and what to expect. Hope you can give us an update. Good luck to the application. And lastly, there’s nothing wrong with your Tagalog and it’s so uplifting. Salamat ulit!

  7. The Canada part of the process I think is easier than the the Philippine side. I heard they will ask you to get a travel agency if your employer is not a relative. Those agencies ask for a lot of money.

    • The application on the part of employee nor the employer is neither easy. But the applicant in the Philippine will have to submit more requirements and the processing takes longer. The employer doesn’t need an assistance from an agency since all the requirements (forms etc) and information are on the immigration and citizenship website. But some employers prefer to seek help from an agency to deal with all the paper work.

  8. Hi. First of all I would like to thank you for being honest regarding the status of caregiver applicants in Canada. I can say that I am one of those many people who are aspiring to work as a care giver in Canada. I am willing to give up my current work just to complete the training and OJT. I am a midwife nurse by the way. I have read quite a many blogs because I am really interested to work and live in Canada. Honestly, this news saddened me and weakened my hopes in pursuing a career in Canada😥 What to do? I am just beginning to build my dreams and now that dream has closed its door on me.😭 I don’t know whether I will enroll in the care giver training program this September or not. Enrolling means resigning from my work… The tough decision has gotten a little tougher I guessed… It’s a good thing I chanced upon your blog… Thank you for giving updates. GBU…

    • Hi Heids. This is the reason why I’m hesitant to write about it. But I know that the future applicants have to know what is also happening in Canada. If you will notice on the blog, although the LCP is closed, applicants can apply as a worker then proceed to the two new paths. What applicants should be concerned is the possibility of approval. I can relate to what you are going through and imagine the process I had to go through for almost two years to make it in Canada.

      With the skills that you have, would you be able to qualify to other works in Canada? The immigration and citizenship website has lots of information that I hope you can take the time to read before you decide. Don’t lose hope and keep the faith Heids. Stay positive. Let me know if you have other questions.

  9. Hello,

    Can you advise, is it harder to get a regular working visa that with the LCP? How about the timeline? I just really wanted to know… I enrolled in a caregiving training because I really wanted to move in Canada, together with my family…. and I am saddened by the news that there’s no LCP anymore… :'( I don’t know what to do, I don’t even know how to start…

    • It’s hard to tell Sam the possibility of getting a working visa. Although LCP is closed, you can still apply as a caregiver provided you and your employer meet the qualifications and requirements. While the LCP is closed at the moment, it is uncertain whether it will reopen. I do hope that you can make the right decision. Take your time. You may want to read my timeline for your reference.