An au pair can work in Canada under the Live-In Caregiver Programme. Canada designed this programme in order to bring workers to Canada to fill the available live-in caregiver positions when there are not enough Canadians to fill them. A live-in caregiver is defined as someone who provides unsupervised care for children, the elderly or the disabled in a private house.

To enter this programme, an au pair must:

Have successfully completed the equivalent of a Canadian high school education
Have six months of full-time training in a classroom setting or twelve months of full-time paid employment, including at least six months of continuous employment with one employer in a field or occupation related to the job he/she is seeking as a live-in caregiver.
Be able to speak, read and understand either English or French at a level that allows you to work independently in a home setting. For example, it is important for you, as a caregiver, to be able to contact emergency services if required and to understand labels on medication

In order for an au pair to be allowed to work in Canada as a live-in caregiver, a prospective employer will submit a request to hire an au pair to a Human Resources Centre Canada (HRCC). Once the HRCC has confirmed the job an au pair can begin applying for a work permit. If their application is successful, the work permit is valid for one year and can be renewed if an au pair provides proof that their host family is offering them another year of employment.

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