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Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Live-In Caregiver Program
An important requirement under the Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Live-In Caregiver Program is that the foreign Live-In Caregiver must live in the employer's home. The Live-in Caregiver Program exists only because there is a shortage of Canadians or permanent residents to fill the need for live-in care work. There is no shortage of Canadians or permanent residents available for care giving positions where there is no live-in requirement.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada Requirements:
1. Successful completion of the equivalent Canadian high school education.
This requirement will help to ensure that participants who apply for permanent residence after two years will be able to succeed in the general labor market. Studies indicate that the majority of new jobs in Canada require at least a high school education. For applicants educated in the Philippines, the requirement is at least two years of post-high school education, in which the student has obtained at least 72 units of credit.
2. Six months of continuous full-time training or twelve months of experience in paid employment in a care giving field or occupation related to the job you are seeking as a live-in caregiver.
The training or experience may have been gained in early childhood education, geriatric care, pediatric nursing, to name just a few areas. Licensed Registered Nurses, with experience, are normally considered to meet this requirement.
In order to meet the criteria for training, six months with a minimum of twenty-five hours per week in classroom lectures must have been completed as part of formal education taken at an institution accredited by the local education authority.
In order to meet the criteria for experience, one year of full-time paid employment must have been completed, 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 the application for a Work Permit is submitted to a Visa Office.
If your caregiver-related work experience was within the Philippines, you need to submit, along with your employment certificates, proof of your employer's contributions to the Social Security System and/or Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, as issued by SSS and/or PhiliHealth.
If your caregiver-related work
experience was outside of the Philippines, you need to submit an
employment contract listing your duties, dates of employment, and
the position. Also, submit a copy of the valid employment visa for
the period of employment. 3. 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. Caregivers will be unsupervised for most of the day and may be put in a position of having to communicate with someone outside the home. A good knowledge of English and French will also enable them to read and understand for themselves what their rights and obligations are.
Please be advised that you are encouraged to undertake language proficiency testing (IELTS or TEF) and provide the results as this is the best way to provide proof of language skills. Information regarding these examinations are available at www.ielts.org and www.fda.ccip.fr.
4. Must have an employment contract with their prospective employer.
The contract defines your job duties, hours of work, salary and benefits. The contract also reinforces your employer's legal responsibilities to you. This requirement helps provide a fair working arrangement between the caregiver and the employer and provides both parties with a clear understanding of what are expected of them. The employer will send the proposed contract to the live-in caregiver for review and signature before the job offer is validated by Service Canada/Human Resources & Skills Development Canada. The signed contract is part of the documentation sent by the caregiver to the visa post.
An important requirement of the program is that employees must live in the employer's home. Also, the employer must be able to show that they are able to fulfill the stipulations of the contract (for example, the employer must show that they are able to pay wages based on the amount agreed and provide a private bedroom with a lock and key.)
Training
As a result of the second criteria above, a number of institutions in the Philippines have developed a "six-months caregiver course". These are in no way affiliated with, or accredited or certified by the Canadian Government or the Embassy of Canada.
In order to qualify, the six-month training course must have been completed as part of formal education taken at an institution accredited by the local education authority. In the Philippines, TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) is the "local authority". Applicants may verify from TESDA if a particular training school has the necessary accreditation by referring to the website, www.TESDA.gov.ph
In addition, to be being TESDA-accredited, the training must also comply with the requirements of the Canadian immigration legislation and policy. Full-time training must be completed within a period of at least six months with a minimum of 25 hours per week in a classroom setting. Time spent performing on-the-job training or practicum is not considered part of the required training, even though this may be a TESDA requirement. Correspondence courses, evening and weekend classes are also not considered as "full-time".
NOTE:
Any classroom training that is less than 6 months, will result in the refusal of the application.
As a quality control measure, embassy officials periodically monitor caregiver training institutions to ensure that the schools meet the requirements of the Canadian legislation and policy. If the caregiver school has been found to not meet the required standards, students from that school may be deemed not to have met the Program's requirements and their applications may not be accepted.
It is recommended that all applicants exercise due diligence in choosing a training centre. The onus is on the applicant to verify that the school is not only TESDA accredited, but also that the training the school provides complies with the requirements of the Canadian immigration legislation and policy.
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
If you have all the above qualification under Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Live-In Caregiver Program, kindly submit the documents we require. The checklist can viewed at http://www.aclassnannies.com/Employment-Requirement.htm and complete our Online Employment Application Form.
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