Employer Guide: Hiring a Caregiver from Abroad in Canada

Most families who hire a foreign caregiver have never navigated the immigration system before. If you are a Canadian family looking to bring in a caregiver from abroad — or sponsor a caregiver already in Canada for permanent residence — the process is more involved than most people expect. And a mistake on your end doesn't just create paperwork problems; it can derail your caregiver's immigration status entirely.

This guide covers what Canadian employers need to know: how the LMIA process works, what makes a job offer "genuine," the Business Number requirement, and what changed in 2026.

The First Thing to Understand: Who Pays What

Federal law is clear: employers — not workers — are responsible for recruitment and sponsorship costs. The $1,000 LMIA application fee is paid by the employer. Charging the caregiver for this fee, or deducting it from their wages, is illegal under both federal and provincial employment standards.

If a recruiter or agency asks your caregiver to pay placement fees, they are operating outside the law. In 2024–2025, Ontario ordered over $200,000 in repayments to workers who had been illegally charged. Your caregiver knowing this — and you knowing it — protects both parties.

There are two LMIA fee exemptions relevant to caregivers:

• Medical care: If you are hiring a caregiver to assist a family member with a medical condition, and you have a physician's letter confirming the need, the $1,000 fee is waived.
• Child care: If your household income is $150,000 or less and the caregiver will primarily care for a child under 13, the fee is waived.

Getting a Business Number from CRA

Before you can file an LMIA application through Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), you need a Business Number (BN) from the Canada Revenue Agency. This is required even for individual families — you are not registering a company; you are registering as an employer for payroll purposes.

You can apply for a BN online through the CRA website. The process takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes and you will receive the number immediately. When applying, you are registering a "payroll deductions" program account alongside the BN.

If two adult children are jointly hiring a caregiver for an elderly parent — sharing the employer role — only one Business Number is needed, but both must be named in the employment agreement.

Keep your BN handy. You will need it on the LMIA application and again when issuing T4 slips at tax time.

Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): The Recruitment Requirements

An LMIA is how the government verifies that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the role before a foreign worker is hired. As of April 1, 2026, the LMIA recruitment rules for low-wage positions (which includes most caregiver roles) were tightened significantly.

What you are now required to do before applying for an LMIA:

1. Advertise the position for at least 8 consecutive weeks in the 3 months before applying. The old requirement was 4 weeks — it has doubled. Advertising must appear on Job Bank (the government's free job board) and at least two other platforms (e.g., Indeed, Workopolis, or a local newspaper).

2. Target Canadian youth. Recruitment efforts must specifically include outreach to youth through Job Bank and youth-specific job boards. This is a new requirement as of April 2026 and is assessed during LMIA review.

3. Document all recruitment attempts. Keep records of every ad placed, every resume received, and the reason you did not hire each Canadian applicant. ESDC officers review this documentation carefully. If your records are incomplete or vague, your LMIA may be refused.

4. Unemployment rate caveat. If you live in a Census Metropolitan Area (major city) where the unemployment rate exceeds 6%, ESDC will not process an LMIA for a low-wage position. This is a significant constraint if you live in a city experiencing high unemployment. Check ESDC's current list of affected areas before starting the process.

What Makes a Job Offer "Genuine"

IRCC and ESDC both assess whether a job offer is genuine — that is, whether the position actually exists, the employer actually intends to employ the caregiver in the described capacity, and the conditions of the offer meet minimum requirements.

A genuine job offer for a caregiver must include all of the following:

• Full-time hours: At minimum 30 hours per week of paid work. "Part-time" or "flex hours" arrangements will not qualify.
• Prevailing wage: The offer must match or exceed the median wage for a home child care provider or home support worker in your province. As a reference, this is approximately $19/hour in Ontario and $18.20/hour in British Columbia as of 2026. Wages below the prevailing rate signal an attempt to circumvent labor standards.
• Written contract: The offer must be in writing, signed by both parties, with specific start date, duties, hours, and wage clearly stated.
• Duties that match the NOC: The job duties described in your offer must align with NOC 44100 (Home Child Care Providers) or NOC 44101 (Home Support Workers). If your caregiver will be primarily caring for children, use NOC 44100. If they will be caring for a senior or person with a disability, use NOC 44101. A mismatch between the offer and the NOC is one of the most common reasons caregiver applications are flagged.

What makes an offer NOT genuine (red flags IRCC looks for):

• Hours that vary so much the 30-hour minimum can't be consistently met
• Wage that is padded on paper but will be partially returned to the employer as "rent" or "expenses"
• Duties described vaguely or in a way that could include non-caregiving household tasks

Including domestic cleaning, cooking for the whole household, or other non-caregiving tasks as primary duties in the job description is a problem. A caregiver can do light housekeeping related to the care recipient, but if the offer reads more like a housekeeper position, it will not qualify under NOC 44100 or 44101.

Your Obligations Once the Caregiver Arrives

Sponsoring a caregiver is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time transaction. As an employer, your obligations include:

• Paying wages on time at the agreed rate — at minimum on a bi-weekly or monthly basis with proper pay stubs
• Remitting CPP and EI to CRA on behalf of the employee — your caregiver is an employee, not an independent contractor
• Issuing a T4 slip at tax time for every year of employment
• Maintaining a safe working environment — provincial occupational health and safety standards apply in private homes
• Providing a Record of Employment (ROE) if employment ends for any reason — the caregiver needs this for their PR application

One area employers often overlook: your caregiver will use their T4 slips, pay stubs, and a reference letter from you as the core documentation for their permanent residency application. The reference letter must list specific duties that match the NOC description. Ask your caregiver what they need from you before they apply and provide it promptly.

What the Caregiver's PR Process Means for You

If your caregiver is applying for PR under the Home Care Worker pilots, they are likely submitting a PR application at the same time as (or shortly after) their work permit application. During the processing period — currently 12 to 18 months — they will continue working in Canada on their existing work authorization.

You may be asked to confirm your employment in a letter or by providing a completed employer declaration as part of their PR file. This is a normal part of the process. Provide accurate information and respond promptly — delays on the employer's end translate directly into delays in the caregiver's file.

For families navigating this process for the first time, the Canada Caregiver Program Guide includes an employer reference section that explains the LMIA process in plain language, the exact duties language to use in your job offer letter (mapped to NOC 44100 and 44101), and a checklist of what you will need to provide over the course of your caregiver's PR application.

Understanding your role is not just a bureaucratic obligation — it is part of keeping the person working in your home on a secure, legal immigration pathway.

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