Live-In Nanny Outside Montreal: The Advantage Quebec’s Regions Have

In Sherbrooke, nobody will ask you for a doctor’s note.

Nor in Saguenay, Quebec City or Drummondville. Since 2024, most of the talk has been about what is closed in Montreal, and many families in the regions assumed the door was closed for them too. It is the opposite. For a family looking for a live-in nanny outside Montreal, the program remains open, with no medical condition, and that is an advantage Montreal families no longer have.

Live-in nanny outside Montreal: what is still open, and why

The federal rule is precise. Since September 26, 2024, LMIA applications for low-wage positions are not processed when the work location is in a census metropolitan area where unemployment is 6% or higher. A caregiver paid from $19 an hour falls into that category. So everything depends on the family’s address.

For applications submitted from October 9, 2026, to January 7, 2027, the major cities in Quebec’s regions are all below the threshold: Saguenay at 3.7%, Drummondville at 3.8%, Sherbrooke at 4.2%, the Quebec City area — Lévis included — at 4.3%, and Trois-Rivières at 5.7%. The TFWP is open to every family there.

And if you live outside those cities, it is even simpler. The measure only targets metropolitan areas. Granby, Saint-Hyacinthe, Rimouski, Shawinigan, Victoriaville, Alma or Rivière-du-Loup, and the villages around them, are not affected. The figures and the list are published by Employment and Social Development Canada.

What it changes for your family

In Montreal, a family now has to show a medical need for its application to be processed. In the regions, the reason for your application is your own. Two physicians with unpredictable schedules, a business that never closes at 5 p.m., three children including a baby, an aging parent who should no longer be alone at night: each of these situations opens the way to the program.

You do not have to prove you are a special case. Like any employer family, you show that the position is real, that the wage and conditions meet Quebec standards and, where required, that you first looked for someone here. We prepare those steps with you.

In Montreal, you need a medical reason. In the regions, you only need to need help.

Three things to know before you start

The list changes every quarter. Rates are updated every three months. Trois-Rivières, at 5.7%, is close to the threshold. What counts is the rate in effect on the day the application is filed: we check it at that moment, not before.

Greater Montreal is not “the regions”. Laval, Longueuil, Brossard, Terrebonne and Repentigny are part of the Montreal metropolitan area. Gatineau belongs to Ottawa-Gatineau, which is also above the threshold. For these families, the path goes through the medical exception, which we explain in our article on the LMIA freeze in Montreal.

Living with you is a choice. Many families offer accommodation, and most caregivers gladly accept it. But a mandatory live-in requirement is only allowed for a medical reason or exceptional circumstances, justified in writing. We tell you on the first call what applies to your situation.

The path: 8 to 9 months, as everywhere in Quebec

Being in the regions does not shorten government timelines. From the first call to your nanny’s arrival, plan on 8 to 9 months: recruiting, job offer, LMIA, Quebec Acceptance Certificate, work permit. You are the employer; we manage the file. We walk through each step in our article on the TFWP and its real steps.

Live-in nanny outside Montreal: what it costs

The starting point is the caregiver’s wage: from $19 an hour for a nanny, $19.27 for a senior caregiver. Regency’s fees vary with your situation and are quoted free of charge. We do not publish a total price, because no two families ever have exactly the same need.

If the caregiver comes for a parent aged 70 or over, the home-support tax credit reimburses 40% of eligible expenses in 2026. We explain it on our elderly caregiver page.

Why nannies stay in the regions

A caregiver who arrives in a town on a human scale, welcomed by a family that was waiting for her, has every reason to settle in. And the program does not stop at the work permit: after a few years, she can become a permanent resident. For you, that means a presence that lasts for years, not a season. We describe that path in our article on a nanny’s permanent residence.

Live-in nanny outside Montreal: where to start

1. Find your town on our service areas map.
2. Describe your need: the children, the schedule, an aging parent, or both.
3. Plan a bedroom in case the caregiver chooses to live with you.
4. Call us. We confirm your address is eligible at the time of filing, and we start recruiting.

The file is prepared by our founder, a lawyer and member of the Barreau du Québec, together with you. No government application is approved in advance, and nobody serious can guarantee its outcome. What we can do is help you avoid the mistakes that cost months.