How do I go to Canada – well there are lots of ways, but “Live-in-Caregiver” may not be one of them. There are two reasons why you won't qualify:
you need recognised work history or 6 months training
you need good English
Remember kids, this particular job is a bit tightly regulated in Canada, specially as some so called care givers end up in an other type of care giving. Namely at bars, as bar girls. My friend Kathy, who is in the task force had told me some horrid stories of this. So if you are serious of going there, make sure you qualify, and it really is a care-giver job. Unless you have some other plans of course....
Now I need to say a word or two about the two qualifications here. An NVQ or a HND can come handy, but if your other bits are good, a locally obtained diploma will do just fine. But do make sure its genuine, so we (and the potential employer) can fight it out if the band of twats here refuse it. Besides there is a personal reason for me to request a genuine qualification, you are dealing with someone's life here, all unsupervised sometimes. I wouldn't want to see you coming in to my room at wee hours of the morning with the rat poison bottle in hand when what I really need is the cough medicine. So please, Canadian dream can be fun, but not at the price of my head. Funerals are expensive affairs in Canada, you know.
As for the English bit, now that is something the dorks here have taken by the tail. Whatever it is, a decent level is sufficient – do all those East Euro girls have perfect English? Its not a tenured position at the local university language department, but then again whom are you going to complain? Canada High Commission in Sri Lanka is a fortified edifice like the Guantanamo detention centre for Al-Qa'ida suspects. Any form of discussion is out of question – a diplomatic mission is there to deal with the locals, and this bunch seems to be thinking they are sent here for some other matter, like manning a castle in a hostile territory.
All in all, in countries like Sri Lanka, with a few honourable exceptions, getting a faire hearing from a visa officer is a bit of a lottery. And the Canadians rank high in the dork scale against pretty tough competition.
So why are we crying wolf of care giver programme? Cause someone wanted a visa for that, except her real purpose was of course, well you guessed. Not that I disagree, a karaoke girl is also doing a pretty good care-giver job, albeit of a different kind. But who am I to disagree.
Its a tough situation and the thing to work out for me was if she'd ever get to a position dealing with some poor old feller's medicine cabinet, and when that is out of the window, rest is a matter of professional judgement – which is help her. I mean look at Hotel Chelsea NY. Its all a matter of working things out. You could write a book, just be the silly tourist, or be part of the Chelsea whatever. Don't get it? Lets see, 2001 was written there, more or less, and you could be a nice fine paying guest like me, or be one of those people bent in the other way – it was a popular destination for that too, you know. Specially before the times of current social acceptance of some diversity out there in the nether regions. John Jr., nevermind who, was once served a flyer for a club in a foyer, and this John feller, being a strong opponent of gentlemen of the diversified nature, immediately responded: Do I look like an arse banger to you?
So when you are coming here for visa advice with a care-giver pretence – I may have a similar question to ask. Please don't be offended. Its just me.
