If you are looking for help caring for children, an elderly parent, or a family member with medical needs, you might be thinking about hiring someone from outside Canada.
It is a great solution for many families, but let’s be honest: the government website can be a maze of “closed pilots” and confusing acronyms.
Here is the plain English breakdown of how to actually do it right now.
First: What is Going on with the “Pilots”?
You might have heard of the “Home Child Care Provider Pilot” or the “Home Support Worker Pilot.”
Here is the reality for 2026:
The old pilots (from 2019) are closed. There were new pilots announced, but they fill up extremely fast or have specific intake windows that might be paused.
Because of this, if you need to hire someone right now, the most reliable route is usually the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). This allows you to hire a caregiver on a work permit. It doesn’t give them Permanent Residence (PR) immediately, but it gets them here to start working.
The “Golden Ticket”: The LMIA
To hire a foreign worker, you (the employer) almost always need a document called an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment).
Think of the LMIA as a permission slip from the Canadian government. It proves two things:
- There is a genuine need for this job.
- No Canadian worker was available to do it.
Step-by-Step: How to Hire
Step 1: Find Your Candidate
You can’t just apply for a visa. You need to find a specific person first. This could be someone you found through an agency, a job posting, or a referral.
Step 2: Apply for the LMIA (The Employer’s Job)
This is the paperwork part. You apply to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
- The Cost: The application fee is usually $1,000.
- Good News: You might be exempt from this fee if you are hiring for childcare (and your family income is under $150k) or if you are hiring for someone with serious medical needs.
- The Proof: You usually need to show you tried to hire a Canadian first (by posting ads on the Government Job Bank and other sites).
Step 3: The Work Permit (The Worker’s Job)
Once you get a “Positive LMIA,” you send that document to the caregiver. They use it to apply for their Work Permit from their home country.
Important Rules You Must Follow
The government is strict about protecting caregivers. If you hire someone, you legally become an employer.
- Wages: You must pay the “prevailing wage” for your specific city. You can’t just pay minimum wage if the standard for a nanny in your area is higher.
- Housing: You cannot force the caregiver to live in your home. It must be their choice. If they do live in, you usually cannot charge them rent.
- Transportation: In many cases (specifically for low-wage positions), you must pay for their round-trip airfare to come to Canada.
- Health Insurance: You must pay for their private health insurance until they are eligible for provincial coverage.
Quick Summary Table
| Feature | Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) |
| Best For | Hiring quickly when Pilots are full/closed |
| Employer Cost | $1,000 LMIA fee (unless exempt) + Flights/Insurance |
| Processing Time | Months (varies by province) |
| Pathway to PR? | No direct PR, but the worker gains Canadian experience |
| Live-in Required? | No, optional |
Final Thoughts
Hiring a foreign caregiver is a bit of a marathon, not a sprint. It involves contracts, tax numbers, and waiting periods. But for families who need dedicated, full-time care, it is often worth the effort to find the right person.
