$1000 Fee Waived for Nannies

In June 2014, the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) was replaced by the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and employers and families have been very critical of the new system. One of the major criticisms was the fee for families who needed an LMIA in order to hire nannies or caregivers for their children or family members. This has been particularly hard for the Filipino community.

The Liberal government recently announced that families who require caregivers may now qualify for a waiver to the $1000.00 CAD LMIA fee. This means that they do not have to pay the government fee for the application and it will be easier for them to go through the process.

This announcement is beneficial for families and the caregivers themselves. The $1000 LMIA processing fee has been problematic on many fronts and it has caused corruption in the system. Nannies who need jobs were put in a position of offering or negotiating with potential employers on how to pay the $1000 fee or get around it. By law, the employers must pay the government fee and the nanny cannot be required compensate their employers afterward.

Qualifying Families

To qualify for the $1000 waiver, the family that requires the nanny must earn less than $150.000.00 in household income. These families may apply to have a caregiver come and take care of a family member who has physical or mental conditions that require assistance.

How Many Nannies?

Based on the government report, the $1000 waiver may apply to many families in Canada who require assistance.

Data published Wednesday suggested the government expects the changes to benefit 3,357 applicants per year who meet the income threshold, and a further 827 households who hire caregivers for those with physical or mental disabilities.

As noted by the Ottawa Citizen, this program could be very beneficial.

LMIA Applications for Nannies

If you require assistance for child care providers, live-in caregiver or nannies (NOC 4411), please contact our office for assistance.