Nanny traveling with us to Canada for temporary visit

[mlecbaird]

Hi,

I am a Canadian citizen and Permanent Resident of Colombia. My husband is a Colombian citizen with a 10-year multiple entry visitor visa that allows him to stay in Canada for up to 180 days per year. Our 2-year-old daughter is a dual Canadian and Colombian citizen.

We live in Colombia and plan to move to Canada in a few years for our daughter's schooling. We are considering being "digital nomads" for a couple of years, starting next year, spending 3-6 months in different countries, as visitor visas allow, prior to settling in Canada. I'll likely have other questions in the future about sponsoring my husband, but for now we are not looking at starting that process right away. My question at this time is about the possibility of getting a visa for our Colombian citizen nanny to travel with us as we visit family and friends in Canada for 1-6 months, likely sometime next year (2022).

I have searched the web and cannot seem to come across an answer: would our nanny be able to get a visa to accompany us (working as a nanny) while we visit Canada temporarily? If so, what visa would she need to request / would we need to request for her?

I have seen some suggestions that she may be able to apply for just a visitor (temporary resident, up to 180 days) visa, but I want to be sure.

Any experience with this? If not for a nanny, perhaps for having some personal care worker or maid accompany visitors to Canada for a temporary period of time? (Our only interest is in bringing our current nanny, who has formed a strong bond with our daughter, and who we have employed legally in Colombia for about a year and a half now, with us, but your experience with people in similar occupations could be helpful).

 

[Naturgrl]

No, your nanny cannot travel with you and work. You need to be in Canada and try to find someone in Canada with citizenship and PR. If you can't find locally after posting the job and you meet income requirements then you can apply for a temporary working visa. This takes months to process.

Hire a temporary worker as an in-home caregiver - Overview - Canada.ca

 

[mlecbaird]

I am aware of the temporary worker visa option, but from my understanding we would need to be living in Canada in order to apply for that. Since we may only be in Canada for a month or two, is there no way for our nanny (who our daughter is attached to) to accompany us?

For example, if we can prove ongoing travel plans, demonstrating we will not be staying in Canada permanently?

 

[Naturgrl]

I am aware of the temporary worker visa option, but from my understanding we would need to be living in Canada in order to apply for that. Since we may only be in Canada for a month or two, is there no way for our nanny (who our daughter is attached to) to accompany us?

For example, if we can prove ongoing travel plans, demonstrating we will not be staying in Canada permanently?

You cannot bring someone in on a visitor visa and then they work for you. That is illegal. They need a work permit and the only option is the temporary visa option.

 

[mlecbaird]

Is it possible to apply for the temporary work visa for our nanny while we are outside of Canada?

Also, I understand the current nanny pilot program is closed for 2021 as it reached its quota. If we were to apply in January, from Colombia or another country, how long might processing take? (ie. When might we be able to think about going to Canada?)

 

[mlecbaird]

As a related curiosity, any idea how it works for someone to be a "traveling nanny"? Say a family wants to go on a 2-week vacation to Canada from another country, and they want to bring their nanny along? Would it be impossible? My understanding is that this IS possible in many countries... perhaps Canada is an exception? Or is it the fact that I am a Canadian citizen that bars me from bringing my nanny to Canada, more specifically?

 

[Naturgrl]

As a related curiosity, any idea how it works for someone to be a "traveling nanny"? Say a family wants to go on a 2-week vacation to Canada from another country, and they want to bring their nanny along? Would it be impossible? My understanding is that this IS possible in many countries... perhaps Canada is an exception? Or is it the fact that I am a Canadian citizen that bars me from bringing my nanny to Canada, more specifically?

You can’t apply while outside Canada. For the caregiver pilot, people from 2018 and 2019 are still waiting. So it takes years.

Your nanny still needs a visitor visa. She needs to show her own funds to pay for her visit and strong ties to her home country (eg. Job, investments, property). Being a Canadian citizen has no bearing on her getting a visitor visa. She can come to visit but not work.

 

[mlecbaird]

Ok, so basically families that have a nanny who travels with them, whether for a weekend getaway or a longer vacation, cannot bring their nannies to Canada, ever, unless it is strictly for the nanny to have a vacation (which would be rather difficult for a family who employs the nanny outside of Canada to prove).

Thank you for your quick and helpful replies.

 

[canuck78]

Ok, so basically families that have a nanny who travels with them, whether for a weekend getaway or a longer vacation, cannot bring their nannies to Canada, ever, unless it is strictly for the nanny to have a vacation (which would be rather difficult for a family who employs the nanny outside of Canada to prove).

Thank you for your quick and helpful replies.

Yes you'd be expected to find temporary childcare in Canada if visiting Canada. It is not a very common in Canada to travel with nannies or domestic workers like it is in other countries. Would add that if your nanny gets a TRV and travels with you she could be denied entry and returned home. Most chlidren in Canada go to daycare/preschool which I assume you know.

 

[mlecbaird]

Thanks. Yes, that is why I wanted to check. We are definitely not going to go through a long and costly process to help her get a visitor visa just for her to then be turned away. I guess we just won't spend much time in Canada when we do visit, and our nanny can spend time somewhere else while we are there. Not ideal, but it is what it is.

 

[YVR123]

Ok, so basically families that have a nanny who travels with them, whether for a weekend getaway or a longer vacation, cannot bring their nannies to Canada, ever, unless it is strictly for the nanny to have a vacation (which would be rather difficult for a family who employs the nanny outside of Canada to prove).

Thank you for your quick and helpful replies.

Most ppl do not have nannies. They take their kids to childcare facilities.

and fewer would even consider travelling with a nanny.... It's very unusal in Canada.

 

[mlecbaird]

I understand. But still, not so unusual as there is a specific temporary worker visa category for nannies. When someone bonds so well with your child, and really becomes part of your family (especially since during the pandemic she has moved in with us to avoid risk of contagion, and has become basically our closest friend during this time, and the only person we have socialized with for a year and a half), it is hard to imagine separating your child - and oneself - from them.

 

[mlecbaird]

I came across this thread from 2017, demonstrating that someone in a similar situation to our daughter's nanny was granted a TRV with the knowledge that she would be working as a nanny to a Canadian visiting Canada temporarily... https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/trv-for-helper-nanny.483405/ Has the law changed since then?

 

[Buletruck]

I’m going to throw my $0.02 into the debate. I would expect that if she has a TRV and is travelling with a family (Canadian or not) that is on a vacation and is paid by the family, from overseas accounts in that countries currency, she isn’t working illegally, as the family are not residents of Canada. I’d talk to a good immigration lawyer.

 

[Buletruck]

As long as you aren’t settling permanently.