How to Immigrate to Canada as a Caregiver

There are many opportunities for nurses to work in Canada. In general, people live longer and happier lives here because of our great public health care system. The average life expectancy in Canada is currently 82 years, and it is increasing every year.

Many retirees fall between retirement (average age 62) and the bright light at the end of the tunnel. An incredible 7 million Canadians are enjoying their well-deserved retirement.

That doesn’t sound like much, but Canada’s population is only 38 million people. Do the math and you’ll see that equates to nearly 20 of our population enjoying cheap drugs and applesauce.

If caring for the elderly isn’t your thing, then there are the children. 7.2 million Canadians are under the age of 18. You can see where we’re going with this, right? From au pairs to educators, parents in Canada need help, and they need it now. But, there’s always a but, we wouldn’t advise just packing your bags and moving to Canada. There are a number of factors to consider first.

What to Think About When Looking For Work in Canada

Permanent Residency

Do you want to become a permanent resident? If the answer is yes, you need to apply for either the Child Care Provider Pilot or the Home Care Provider Pilot at the same time as you apply for your work permit.

Your Work Permit

You will need a job offer to get a work permit, and the Canadian government isn’t as liberal with those as they are with free prescription medication for the elderly.

What if you want to change jobs in Canada

There is a personal nature to the relationships you form with the people you care for. It doesn’t always work out, which is why the IRCC has seen fit to grant care providers a special open work permit, which allows them to switch employers in the event that things don’t work out.

Accepting a job in the right part of Canada

If you do change employers, you need to be able to find another job as quickly and easily as possible. Gaps in your employment don’t look good when you need to renew your work permit after two years, not to mention, you want to be able to submit your two years of work experience for your permanent residency application without any hiccups. So, where should you look?

British Columbia – over 80of the population plans to stay in the province when they retire
Ontario – 80 of the population plans to stay in the province when they retire
Atlantic Canada – just under 80 of the population plans to stay in the province when they retire

Naturally, you’ll find the most populated areas yield the best employment opportunities. The home care provider pilots allow applicants to live and work anywhere in Canada, as long as they meet the requirements for permanent residency. Obviously our golden oldies aren’t your only employment prospect. There is work in Canada for caregivers across all ages; night nurses for infants, au pairs for the later years, tutors for teens and living assistants for people who are temporarily or permanently disabled. We need people who care, we need you.