When hiring live-in caregivers for Canada, you have two Canadian immigration programs to look into: the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the Home Support Worker Pilot (HSWP). The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has these as responsive measures to address specific gaps and demands within the Canadian labour market and social services sector.
While the TFWP is designed to cater to broader labour market needs, the HSWP is tailored to address the caregiving sector's unique challenges and requirements, particularly for in-home support. Discover more about their key differences:
1. Program Purpose
TFWP: This program is broad and not specifically designed for live-in caregivers. It allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers when qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents are unavailable.
HSWP: This program is specifically designed for hiring live-in caregivers to provide home support. It addresses the demand for caregivers to provide support to individuals with high medical needs or disabilities.
2. Caregiver Location
TFWP: For foreign caregivers who are already in Canada
HSWP: For foreign caregivers inside and outside Canada.
3. Eligibility Requirements
TFWP: Because the foreign national is already in Canada, the only two things you need to check before giving a job offer is their ability to perform the job as live-in caregivers.
HSWP: As the employer, you must make sure that the foreign nationals (1) demonstrate the ability to perform work related to caregiving, (2) meet the language score of Canadian Language Benchmark or CLB 5, (3) have a one-year Canadian post-secondary credential or its equivalent, and (4) are allowed to enter Canada. If all these are met, you can give a job offer as a first step to hiring live-in caregivers for Canada.
4. Streamlined Process for Home Support Workers Pilot
HSWP is designed to be more streamlined and responsive to the needs of employers and live-in caregivers. It includes occupation-specific work permits and facilitates a smoother process for hiring live-in caregivers.
5. Work Permit
TFWP: Work permit specifies the occupation and the name of the employer.
HSWP: The work permit is specific to the occupation (NOC 44100 or 44101) and does not mention the employer.
6. Employer Requirements
TFWP: Employers hiring through the TFWP are required to apply for a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
HSWP: Employers hiring through the HSWP must give a genuine and valid job offer letter.
7. Transition to Permanent Residency
TFWP: Depending on the circumstances, some caregivers hired through the TFWP may be eligible to apply for permanent residency through immigration pathways, such as Express Entry or Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
HSWP: The HSWP includes a pathway for caregivers to apply for permanent residency after gaining the required work experience in Canada.
Now that you know the difference between TFWP and HSWP, hiring live-in caregivers for Canada will be a breeze. But if you want to explore these two programs, you may visit our Live-in Caregiver Program for Canada Employers page for more resources. You may also call us at 778-724-0147 so one of our Canadian immigration consultants can assist you.
