Work and Travel programme

Young people from certain countries can work in Canada under the Work and Travel programme for one year. However, the number of visas is restricted. If the visa is granted, the applicant receives a work permit with “open” employer and “open” employment location.
 

Age: 18 to 30
 

Duration of stay: 12 months
 

Accepted countries: Australia, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, South Korea,Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and Great Britain.
 

Financial means: A Working Holidaymaker / au pair must possess sufficient funds as well as a return ticket.
Please check the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada site and choose your country to find further information.
 

Visa: The number of visas for each year is restricted. So it is recommended to apply for a visa early. For this purpose please contact the Canadian embassy in your country.
 

Work permit: As from the entry to Canada the work permit is valid for 12 months.
 

Restrictions: Your work permit will state that you are not authorised to work in the 3 following fields of occupation: 1) child care, 2) primary or secondary school teaching, 3) health care.
 

If you would like to work in one of these fields of occupation, you have to undergo a medical examination in Canada and your work permit has to be modified. Therefore you need to contact a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Centre where you will get medical examination forms and further instructions. After obtaining your examination results the CIC will modify your Work Permit and remove the occupational restrictions.
 
Insurance: Participants of the Work and Travel programme / au pairs have to make all necessary arrangements to attain comprehensive health insurance coverage (including hospital treatment) as well as liability insurance coverage.

Live-In Caregiver Programme

Preconditions:
 

Age: 18 – 30 years
 

Duration of stay: 1 year. It is possible to extend the stay to up to 2 years.
After these 2 years you can apply for a permanent residence permit and work permit.
 

Language skills: As a Live-In Caregiver / au pair you need to have good knowledge in English or French. That means that you need to be able to cope with situation in every day life. You should also be able to understand medical instructions and to call for help and to call a doctor in case of emergency.
 

Qualification: A Live-In Caregiver / au pair must be a qualified caregiver or must have experience in the field of care. More precisely this means:
 

• six months of full time training or
• one year of full time work (including 6 months with one employer) in the field of child care, care for elderly people or first aid.

Further conditions:
 

• educational background which corresponds to the 12 years' school education in Canada
• driving license will be to your advantage

Working conditions
 

It is the Live-In Caregiver's / au pair's responsibility to independently look after children or care for people.

Working hours: normally 40 hours per week, but not more than 48 hours
 

Payment: A Live-In Caregiver is paid per hour. For work on bank holidays or for extra hours the Live-In caregiver / au pair receives extra payments. A Live-In Caregiver's income is subject to income taxation. Working conditions depend on the individual province. Please check here how much Live-In Caregivers / au pairs receive in your province.
 

Board and lodging: A Live-In Caregiver / au pair has to live in the host family's house. However, the host family may deduct charges for board and lodging from your salary. Please check this site for detailed information.
 

Work contract: A written work contract with a detailed description of tasks, working hours, salary and other benefits which the employer has to provide is mandatory. The employer sends a sample of this contract to the Live-In Caregiver / au pair. This contract has to be presented when the visa is being applied for.
 
Work permit: A work permit can only be applied for when you have concluded a work contract. It is issued for a year and can be extended for a further year.
 

Health insurance: Live-In caregivers / au pairs are covered by health insurance. However, insurance coverage might only enter into force after a stay of 3 months depending on the regulations of the province or territory where the host family lives. For more detailed information please contact the health insurance office of the respective province and the immigration authority Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

Courses of studies: You have the opportunity to enrol in courses at university or at other educational institutions. If the duration of your courses exceeds the duration of 6 months, you need a permit to study. However, you should be aware that the main reason of your stay in Canada is to work as a Live-In Caregiver and not to study
 

Travel costs: The Live-In Caregiver / au pairs has to pay for his/her travel costs.
 
Further information about the Live-in Caregiver Programme can be found on the website of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.