How to Immigrate to Canada as a Nanny

By Sam Moser October 19, 2012 (Updated January 9, 2024) 5 min. read
nanny

Moving to Canada as a nanny is becoming increasingly popular, and is an excellent life choice for many people. However, Canadian immigration is a complicated legal process, especially if you want to immigrate using a work visa. Canada does offer attractive opportunities for those who plan to live and work in the country using a work visa.

Is There A Nanny Visa?

No, there is no specific nanny visa. However, there are programs that Canada offers that can lead to permanent residency, or if you are not qualified for one of those streams, you can work in Canada temporarily.

The National Occupation Classification (NOC) code for the occupation of Home Child Caregiver is 3112/31102.

For a foreign worker who wants to immigrate to Canada as a nanny, the government offers the chance to become a permanent resident after he or she has worked as a caregiver for two years. There are four possible immigration streams for caregivers. Those streams include:

Related Article: What You Need To Know About Sponsoring a Nanny to Canada

Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP)

Anyone looking to immigrate to Canada as a nanny must fill out the application form for a work permit visa as a live-in caregiver. The government created a live-in caregiver program specifically to help workers from outside the country to work as caregivers to address the shortage of domestic help in the country.

This same program allows caregivers and nannies to apply for residency after two years of working as a caregiver. As the Canadian government has stopped accepting new applicants, you can now only apply to be a permanent resident if you have worked in Canada for at least two years with an LCP work permit or if your first LCP work permit was granted using an LMIA submitted on or before November 30, 2014.

Eligibility

If you are already part of the Live-in Caregiver Program, you can continue to work as a nanny under this program. You’ll need a new work permit, but the other requirements as outlined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada remain the same:

How to Apply

Here are the steps to sponsoring a caregiver under the Live-In Caregiver Program:

Step 1: Find a caregiver – As an employer, you are responsible for finding a foreign caregiver independently.

Step 2: Write your employment contract – You and the caregiver are legally required to sign a written employment contract. You must submit the signed contract with your application for a LMIA. 

Step 3: You will need to get a positive LMIA before a live-in caregiver can work for you. The assessment verifies that:

Step 4: Make sure the caregiver gets a valid work permit – Once you get a positive LMIA, the caregiver must apply for a new work permit within 6 months. If they are eligible, they will receive a work permit that lists you as their employer. This process may take several months.

Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

Both programs are 5-year programs that allow for caregivers and their family members to immigrate to Canada with the intent of becoming permanent residents.  You can qualify for these streams if you have a job offer in Canada as a caregiver or you have experience working in Canada as a caregiver.

Eligibility

You may be eligible to apply for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot if you:

How to Apply

Step 1: Find a caregiver – As an employer, you can hire an in-home caregiver/nanny by finding an eligible candidate, either overseas or in Canada, and providing them with an offer of employment. The in-home caregiver will then submit their application to one of the pilots. Under these pilots you can decide with the caregiver whether they live in or out of your home.

Step 2: Make sure the candidate is eligible – To get a work permit, the foreign national must show that they meet the eligibility and admissibility requirements above.

Step 3: Make an offer of employment – After you find a candidate that you want to hire as an in-home caregiver/nanny, offer the candidate the job using the offer of employment form.

Temporary Foreign Workers (TWFW)

This option is not one that initially allows you to apply for permanent residency. You will be working in Canada as a caregiver on a temporary basis. However, you can use this type of visa to gain experience in caregiving which could be useful when applying for a different visa at a later date.

Eligibility

You must meet the general temporary work visa requirements. Additionally, you will need to be able to:

While it is not strictly necessary, it can be useful to have more qualifications such as:

Interested in Immigrating to Canada as a Nanny?

If so, Contact VisaPlace today. All our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration professionals who are affiliated with VisaPlace. These professionals consist of lawyers, licensed paralegals, and consultants who work for VisaPlace Legal an award-winning immigration firm that adheres to the highest standards of client service.

The legal requirements for immigration to Canada as a nanny may be complicated and require a good grasp of Canadian immigration laws. To avoid hassles and to ensure that you provide all the requirements on time, you need the help of an experienced and skilled lawyer who specializes in Canadian immigration law. Increase your chances of living and working in Canada as a Nanny by working with a lawyer who can help you land the caregiver job you need.

Ready for the next step? Book your 1 on 1 consultation now or call us at 1-877-296-0874.

Lisanne Cholette Avatar

Lisanne Cholette

Mansi has been helping me navigate through a new chapter in my life. It has been a huge comfort to be able to lean on her knowledge and expertise and I would highly recommend her to anyone!

BERLITA COLLADO Avatar

BERLITA COLLADO

I am so very thankful to the VISAPACE team for making it all come true and possible from my Open Work Permit to my Permanent Residence, you make it all happen .Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart , Thank you for being part of my achievements. Now I am now a Permanent Residence through the effort, power and knowledge of VISAPLACE LEGAL TEAM.
Sending you my best appreciation and thank you.

Berlie Collado

Shahrzad Sh Avatar

Shahrzad Sh

“I truly want to thank Mansi. Her patience and thoughtful advices made a big difference for me. Her recommendations were not only helpful but also gave me clearer insight. Words can’t fully express how grateful I am for her support.”

kevin geoffrey Avatar

kevin geoffrey

Visa place helped me with my daughter’s sponsorship 3 years ago. Last week I contacted them for some clarification on a different matter. It was about an issue which technically was a problem of CIC’s software glitch and had nothing to do with Visa Place.
Yet Reena Sandu was assigned for my case. she helped me with enthusiasm and showed no hesitation despite me being an ex-client from 3 years ago.
I was very happy that even after 3 years of finishing business, Visa Place were respectful of their clients. Special thanks again to Reena for her enthusiasm and support.

Nessie Leigh Ilarde Avatar

Nessie Leigh Ilarde

Thank you very much for helping me get my new visa! I appreciate Ms. Felicita and her colleagues for guiding us through the process making sure that everything is precise. Highly recommend your firm. Thanks again 🙂

parker ellis Avatar

parker ellis

Mansi Sanghvi has been nothing for of remarkable for me. I have been dealing with a visa, immigration issues , and any time I have to call her, she has been there to answer any questions. Has answers to every question and is there to HELP YOU. Truly could not recommend her more.

Domenico Orsi Avatar

Domenico Orsi

Bansuri was great help on the phone today. They were able to swiftly set up an appointment and facilitate all of my needs and questions.