Scarcity of live-in caregivers in Canada

Canada, 16th February: Canada is experiencing a severe shortage of live-in caregivers.

This is happening due to fewer foreign live-in caregivers applying to come and work in Canada as nannies.

Canada witnesses shortage of nannies--It has been almost two years since families in Canada are finding it hard to find foreign live-in caregivers. And this is happening primarily due to stricter screening process for foreign care-givers along with relatively slower process of Canada visa applications by Canada immigration department-CIC(Citizenship and Immigration Canada).

Canadian families wanting to hire the services of foreign live-in caregivers have to incur full costs of recruitment.

But still, they are willingly paying all such costs in order to avoid losing the services of live-in caregivers. It proves the fact that the scenario will worsen before it becomes better, accepts Association of Caregiver and Nanny Agencies Canada, Manuela Gruber Hersch.

Canada government allowed around 14,000 Canada work permit to foreign live-in caregivers fulfilling required number of working hours for making Canada PR(permanent residency) applications.

As per the official records, on an average, processing time for Canada foreign live-in caregiver applications is stated to be around 15 to 17 months.

The fact that the number of foreign live-in caregivers coming to Canada in the year 2010 has gone down by 40 percent as compared to three years ago has increased woes for Canadian families needing foreign live-in caregivers.

It is not uncommon to find many Canadian clients finding it almost impossible to get caregivers for elderly people and young children, stated owner of Execu-Nannies, Toronto, Sharon Taylor.

Pre-requisites for employers wanting to hire foreign live-in caregivers in Canada—

• Show proof of the fact that efforts were made to fill the position by employing a Canada permanent resident or a Canadian citizen;

• Possess sufficient funds to make payments to live-in caregiver;

• Offer acceptable living conditions in your home; • Making job offer with caregiving duties for an elderly, disabled or a child;

• Submission of application for LMO (Labor Market Opinion) to HRSDC or SC (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada or Service Canada).

Foreign live-in caregivers wanting to come to Canada have to undergo screening by an official of CIC.