Foreign Worker Program (Nannies and Caregivers)

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is intended to be used when you are facing short-term skills and labour shortages, and only when no Canadians and permanent residents are available. Families can hire a foreign caregiver to provide care, in a private residence, to children, seniors or persons with certified medical needs, when Canadians and permanent residents are not available.

Benefits of hiring a Foreign Worker

The main benefits of hiring a foreign nanny/caregiver are:

• A nanny/caregiver performs household chores such as meal preparation, doing laundry and cleaning along with her nanny/caregiver duties.
• An foreign nanny/caregiver gives more stability to the employers as they are hired for a minimum contract period of 2 years and is renewable.

EMPLOYER OBLIGATIONS

Employers who wish to hire foreign nannies/caregivers must;

• prove that they attempted to hire a Canadian or a Permanent resident to fill the position.
• provide a full-time (at least 30 hours per week) job offer, performed in a private household for either childcare, elderly care, or high medical needs,
• demonstrate they have sufficient income to support the nanny/caregivers salary,
• prove why the child or the elderly needs the care of a nanny. And in the case of individuals who require high medical attention, additional documents need to be submitted with the application;
• cover the transportation cost of the nanny return airfare from country of residence to place of work
• cover the insurance cost for the nanny from the time she arrived in Canada, till she is covered by the provincial insurance plan.

Housing for the Nanny/Caregiver

Generally, the foreign child-caregiver lives at the employer’s home or in the place where she works, but, it is not a requirement. He/she can live in a house different from her place of work.

However, if the full-time caregiver resides in the employers’ household, the employers need to provide him/her a private accommodation, such as a room with a window and a door lock, and keys for the same, so they can access the room freely.

FOREIGN WORKER REQUIREMENTS

Foreign Nannies/Caregivers who wish to apply must;

• Have at least a 1-year post-secondary education credential that is equivalent to at least a 1-year Canadian education credential, and
• Pass the minimum English or French test score required, and
• Be able to demonstrate that they can perform the duties of the job in Canada by having sufficient and verifiable work experience.

USING MERCARE AS YOUR RECRUITER AND IMMIGRATION FIRM

Mercare finds candidates from all over the world and will screen candidates to ensure they meet the requirements of the immigration or work permit program currently in place.  Mercare uses its best efforts to recruit qualified, admissible candidates for the CLIENT in an ethical manner and in accordance with provincial and federal laws.

Moreover, Mercare will represent the Employer with the government to obtain the documentation required to hire a foreign nanny/caregiver. As well, Mercare will represent the Foreign Nanny/Caregiver in obtaining work authorization for them to legally work in Canada.