The Live-In Caregiver Class is prescribed as a class of foreign nationals who may become permanent residents. A foreign national who seeks to enter Canada as a live-in caregiver must make an application for a work permit and apply for a temporary resident visa if such a visa is required.

A work permit shall not be issued to a foreign national who seeks to enter Canada as a live-in caregiver unless they:

• Applied for a work permit as a live-in caregiver before entering Canada
• Have successfully completed a course of study that is equivalent to the successful completion of secondary school in Canada.
• Have the ability to speak, read and listen to English or French at a level sufficient to communicate effectively in an unsupervised setting and have an employment contract with their future employer.

A foreign national can be sponsored as a nanny (live in caregiver) via Canada’s Live in Caregiver Program and must meet both the requirements outlined by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada AND Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). Under this program, a caregiver must provide at least 30 hours a week of care to

• Children (under 18 years of age)
• Elderly (65 or over)
• Persons with disabilities.

Part of the eligibility criteria for a Canadian Live in Caregiver visa is possessing good English and/or French language skills.