HRSDC Assessment for Offers to Foreign Live-In Caregivers

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To assist you in the application process for live-in caregivers, below is a description of the factors that HRSDC takes into consideration when reviewing your job offer. Submitting a complete application and providing information on these factors can result in faster decisions by HRSDC and CIC officers and reduce delays in the recruitment of your foreign worker.

When assessing your job offer, HRSDC will primarily review :

• the occupation and duties required from the live-in caregiver;
• the wages and working conditions offered;
• your advertisement and recruitment efforts to find Canadians or permanent residents for the position.

You should also be aware of :

• information related to hiring agencies; and
• requirements related to the LCP the employer-employee contract.

Occupation

A live-in caregiver is someone who provides care to children, the elderly or the disabled in a private household.

Wages and Working Conditions

HRSDC reviews the wages that you are offering to the foreign caregiver, and compares them to wages paid to Canadian live-in caregivers based on labour market information from Statistics Canada, HRSDC, provincial ministries, and other reliable sources. Please be aware that if you are offering wages below rates paid to Canadians live-in caregivers, HRSDC will not confirm your job offer.

HRSDC also expects that you are providing working conditions that are consistent with federal and/or provincial standards for the occupation and workplace.

• Learn more information about federal and provincial labour standards in Canada.

Advertisement and Recruitment

HRSDC generally expects employers to conduct advertising efforts to find qualified Canadians before applying to hire foreign live-in caregivers; however requirements vary from region to region. In regions where advertising is required, it is recommended that employers state within the advertisement the position title, wages, hours, job duties including any special requirements, and the estimated start date for the job.

Below you will find the advertising requirements for each region:

• British Columbia/Yukon
• Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba
• Ontario
• Quebec
• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island
• Newfoundland

Hiring Agencies

If you choose to appoint a third-party recruiter or hiring agency to act on your behalf, please make sure that the agency you select is reputable. It is your responsibility to obtain information from the agency and be clear about the services that the agency is offering. Please be aware that a hiring agency may act on your behalf for the purpose of obtaining an HRSDC confirmation, but cannot sign the employer-employee contract for you.

Employer-Employee Contract

Before CIC allows the entry of a live-in caregiver, please note that CIC expects the live-in caregiver to present a copy of an employer-employee contract  signed by you, the employer, and the live-in caregiver. Please note that employer-employee contracts cannot be signed by third party recruiters or hiring agencies. In case of differences between the employer and the caregiver, the contract will guide the resolution of disputes.

Please be aware that in addition to the employer-employee contract, foreign live-in caregivers, like Canadians, are also covered by provincial labour and workplace safety legislation.