Applying for LCP from Buffalo (already in Canada on general work permit)

[InWorkPermitPurgatory]

Ok, hopefully some of you enlightened souls can answer a few questions.

First, the situation:

I have employed a caregiver (of Filipino citizenship) for my son under a general work permit (not under the formal “Live-In Caregiver” program) here in Canada for the past 1.5 years (and continue to employ her).

Before hiring her to work for us, the caregiver came to Canada under a general work permit to work at a hotel (housekeeping).  After we were issued an LMO to hire her as a caregiver, she applied for (and was issued), a new work permit to care for our son.

She now desires to qualify for the official Live-In Caregiver program and has taken care of our son for the past 1.5 years.  In preparation I have applied for (and was issued) a new LMO.

My questions:

Does her experience as a caregiver for our son here in Canada (over the past 1.5 years) qualify her for the 12 months of experience required by the program?

She is Filipino.  Is she eligible to apply for the program through the Buffalo office given she is working in Canada?

What are the chances (all things equal) that she will be required to interview at the Buffalo office?

If she is required to interview in Buffalo I believe she will need a visa to get back into Canada.  Should she apply for a U.S. travel visa in advance of the interview and does the visa office accommodate the scheduled interview date for the processing time it may take to receive one?  I heard that the U.S. visitor visa needs to be at least 1 year for the Buffalo office to process the application...is that true?

Will she require a medical given that she is already here in Canada and has been for 4 years?

Assuming no major issues arise, how long does it take to process the LCP application out of that office these days?

Thanks!

[InWorkPermitPurgatory]

After some digging I answered a couple of my own questions but found a couple new ones.

Yes, her 18mo's with us looks to be fine for requisite experience.

Yes, she can file for LCP through Buffalo.

Buffalo takes about 2 mo's to process.

I am now interested to know about police certificates.  Does she really need to send them?  She worked in Taiwan for a couple years...should she get one from there?


Thanks!

[maricar.lala]

Hello,

How's the work permit processing in Buffalo going? I'm in the same situation as your caregiver. Will send an application as well in April as soon as I get the LMO (hopefully, LMO will be issued this month or early next month). Could you please let me know about the police certificates? It says in the Buffalo Visa Office website that police certificates are required. Need your help, will appreciate any info you could provide.

God bless you.

[InWorkPermitPurgatory]

Hello,

We are awaiting the police certificates before the application to Buffalo.  As I understand it (and as you confirmed on the Buffalo website), you  need the police certificate(s) but this information was given to me by a Commissionaires representative when we went to get our nanny fingerprinted for the Philippines police certificate application.  Note that we did not need to get third-party fingerprints as the actually do this at Philippines consulate.

[maricar.lala]

hi there,

I already got my police certificate from the Philippines. Will submit my application to Buffalo next week, hopefully everything would work well for us.

[maricar.lala]

Hi,

any news so far??? thank you.