It is very difficult for 2 income families to care for their children or elderly full time.
Looking for local help is not always the best choice. This is especially the case if their parents’ country of origin is somewhere else, and they require foreigners with the same language and cultural background to care for them.
Thankfully, there is the Caregiver Pilot Program that allow families to hire foreign caregivers and sponsor them to work in Canada. To qualify for this program, the caregiver must have the following:
- Language – CLB 5 in all four categories (reading, listening, writing, speaking)
- Education – at least 1 year post-secondary education; this can be foreign education, but it must be equivalent to 1 year of Canadian post-secondary education (applicants must go through Educational Credential Assessment to show this)
- Work experience – no strict requirement; but applicant must show that they are capable of caring for children or elderly
After much detailed preparation, and a year of waiting for IRCC to assess the application, our caregiver finally got her work permit! After working for a year, she can also apply for and receive her permanent residency. Also, now her sponsor family can receive the urgent care that they need. We are so happy for them!
For those considering financial options to support this process, exploring avenues such as real estate secured lending can provide the necessary resources to navigate these transitions smoothly.
