TESDA Caregiving NC II: Fees, Duration, and Career Path

TL;DR: TESDA's official training regulation sets Caregiving NC II at 786 nominal hours (18 basic + 18 common + 750 core competency hours). Non-scholarship tuition at private training centers we reviewed ranged from about ₱22,700 to ₱36,500 for the course itself, before separate lab, uniform, or OJT fees some centers itemize on top. Caregiving NC II is commonly offered under TWSP scholarship batches, which can bring the cost to zero. Locally the certificate supports caregiver, nursing aide, and home health assistant work; overseas, Israel's government-to-government hiring program and Japan's Specified Skilled Worker visa both add their own separate language, age, or exam requirements beyond the Philippine NC II itself, and Canada's caregiver immigration pilot is effectively closed to applicants outside Canada as of mid-2026.

Caregiving NC II is one of the most enrolled-in TESDA qualifications in the Philippines, largely because it sits at the intersection of steady local demand and a well-known overseas pipeline. This guide covers what TESDA's own training regulation actually requires, what the course costs when you're not on a scholarship, and - because so much of the search interest around this course is about working abroad - what Canada, Israel, and Japan each specifically ask for on top of the Philippine certificate. For the training-to-certification process itself, see our TESDA assessment centers guide and our overview of NC levels; for the broader course landscape, see our TESDA courses guide.

Disclaimer: fees, scholarship slot availability, and overseas hiring requirements change frequently. Verify current figures with your training center, TESDA office, and (for overseas work) POEA/DMW directly before committing.

How Many Hours Is TESDA Caregiving NC II?

TESDA's official training regulation for Caregiving NC II sets the nominal training duration at 786 hours. That breaks down as 18 hours of basic competencies, 18 hours of common competencies, and 750 hours of core competencies - by far the bulk of the course. Nominal duration is a planning figure; actual calendar time at a given training center often runs longer once you factor in class schedules, holidays, and practicum arrangements.

The core competencies cover the skills that make up the bulk of the job: providing care to infants and toddlers, providing care to children, fostering children's social, intellectual, creative, and emotional development, providing care to the elderly, providing care to people with special needs, maintaining a healthy and safe environment, responding to emergencies, cleaning residential spaces, washing and ironing clothes and linens, and preparing hot and cold meals. The common competencies cover infection control, responding to difficult behavior, basic first aid, and maintaining service standards.

Caregiving NC II: What the Training Regulation Requires to Enroll

Notably, TESDA's own training regulation does not spell out a specific minimum age or diploma requirement for Caregiving NC II - it describes entry requirements in plain, skill-based terms rather than a credential. In practice, though, individual training centers layer their own enrollment paperwork on top (birth certificate, ID photos, medical certificate, and usually proof of at least a high school education), so don't assume the absence of a formal rule in the TR means no documents are needed. See our TESDA requirements guide for the general enrollment checklist.

How Much Does Caregiving NC II Cost at Private Training Centers?

Pricing varies by training center, and TESDA does not publish one nationwide tuition figure for non-scholarship students. Among the published fee schedules we reviewed from individual private TVIs:

Treat these as illustrative, not universal - fees differ by region, campus, and whether the center bundles in uniforms, Red Cross first-aid certification, or OJT placement support. Ask for a full, itemized quote before paying anything, and get an official receipt matching every line item.

Does a Scholarship Cover Caregiving NC II?

Often, yes - but availability depends on the funding cycle. Caregiving NC II regularly appears among the qualifications offered under TWSP-funded batches at accredited training centers, since it targets a priority sector with steady labor demand both locally and overseas. TWSP scholars get free training, a free competency assessment, and a Training Support Fund allowance; see our TESDA scholarship guide for the full mechanics of TWSP, PESFA, and STEP.

That said, slot counts for any given course are set region by region and budget cycle by budget cycle - a center offering free Caregiving NC II slots this quarter may not have them again next quarter. Call your nearest TESDA Provincial or District Office, or the scholarship desk at your target training center, to check what is currently open.

What Does the Caregiving NC II Assessment Cost?

The assessment - the exam that actually earns you the National Certificate, separate from training itself - follows a fee schedule set by the TESDA Board and endorsed by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), so accredited assessment centers aren't supposed to charge above it. We were not able to confirm one specific, current peso figure for Caregiving NC II from a single official TESDA fee schedule document; third-party training center listings we reviewed cited assessment fees in the roughly ₱500-₱800 range, which should be treated as an approximate, not an official, figure. If you're a TWSP, PESFA, or STEP scholar, the assessment fee is typically bundled into the scholarship and not billed to you separately.

Disclaimer: assessment and tuition fees change between circular updates and by training center. Confirm the exact current amount directly with your assessment center or TESDA office before paying.

What Career Path Does Caregiving NC II Actually Lead To - Locally?

Locally, the certificate is aimed at caregiver, nursing aide, home health assistant, and eldercare-provider roles - work at hospitals, elderly-care facilities, home-care agencies, or private households. Reported average salary figures for caregiver roles in the Philippines vary noticeably by source and by whether the role is live-in, agency-based, or private-hire; one salary-data aggregator (Indeed Philippines) put the reported average caregiver salary at roughly ₱22,400 per month based on self-reported data, while other aggregators showed both lower and considerably higher figures depending on experience level and employer type. Treat any single number as a rough midpoint rather than a guarantee, and ask a specific prospective employer directly.

What Does It Take to Work as a Caregiver in Canada?

This is where a lot of Caregiving NC II holders run into a wall, because a Philippine TESDA certificate alone does not qualify someone to immigrate as a caregiver to Canada. Canada's current caregiver immigration route - the Home Care Worker immigration pilots, launched March 31, 2025 - requires:

• The equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma (a foreign credential like a Philippine diploma needs an Educational Credential Assessment)
• A minimum CLB/NCLC Level 4 across all four language skills on an IRCC-approved test (IELTS General, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF), with results less than two years old
• Either recent, substantial Canadian work experience in home care, or Canadian post-secondary training in the field
• A valid, full-time job offer from a Canadian employer

Critically, the pilot's stream for applicants applying from outside Canada has not opened since the program launched - only the stream for workers already inside Canada has been accepting applications, and it has hit its annual application cap within hours each time it opened. In practical terms, as of mid-2026, a Caregiving NC II holder still in the Philippines does not currently have a direct door into this specific Canadian pathway; the realistic route most Filipino caregivers use to reach Canada is a different, indirect one (such as first securing a different type of Canadian work permit), which is outside the scope of what TESDA certification alone provides.

What Does It Take to Work as a Caregiver in Israel?

Israel hires Filipino caregivers through a government-to-government (G2G) scheme coordinated with POEA/DMW, with no placement fee charged to the worker. Based on past hiring rounds' published job requirements, applicants have needed:

• At least a high school education
• TESDA NC II in Caregiving, with training cited at around 760 hours
• A minimum age around 23
• Minimum height and weight guidelines
• Fluent English
• No relatives already residing or working in Israel
• A clean NBI clearance record

Reported monthly wages in past hiring rounds have been quoted in the ₱75,000-₱80,000 range (converted from a NIS-denominated minimum wage), though exact wage figures, exchange rates, and open slot counts shift between hiring cycles - confirm the current job order directly through POEA/DMW rather than relying on figures from a prior batch.

What Does It Take to Work as a Caregiver in Japan?

Japan does not accept a TESDA Caregiving NC II as a stand-alone qualification for its caregiving visas - it requires clearing Japan's own separate tests. The two main routes are:

• Specified Skilled Worker (Kaigo) visa - requires passing a Japanese-language test (JLPT N4 or the JFT-Basic) and a Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test, and allows up to five years of work.
• JPEPA (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement) program - candidates train and work as certified care workers or nurses in Japan, but must ultimately pass Japan's national licensing exam for that profession to hold the corresponding qualified status long-term.

A TESDA NC II gives a real head start on the underlying caregiving skills, but it is not accepted in place of either Japanese-language proficiency or Japan's own competency exams.

Deciding If Caregiving NC II Is the Right Path for You

• Check current scholarship slots first. Since TWSP funding for Caregiving NC II depends on the budget cycle, calling your TESDA Provincial Office before enrolling as a paying student can save you the full tuition amount.
• Get an itemized private-TVI quote if you're not on scholarship. Fees between centers we reviewed ranged from roughly ₱22,700 to ₱36,500-plus, and add-ons (uniforms, Red Cross certification, OJT) can meaningfully change the total.
• If your goal is overseas work, research the destination's rules before you enroll, not after. Israel's G2G scheme has specific age/height/weight criteria on top of the NC II; Japan requires separate language and skills exams; Canada's caregiver immigration pilot is not currently a realistic door for applicants still in the Philippines.
• Confirm assessment timing and fees with your specific TVI, since the exact assessment fee for this qualification was not something we could verify from one single official published schedule.

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Sources

• TESDA - Caregiving NC II Training Regulation (official, .doc)
• TESDA - Caregiving NC II Training Regulation (official, PDF)
• TESDA - Scholarship and Student Assistance Programs (official)
• TESDA - Frequently Asked Questions on Assessment and Certification (official)
• TESDA - TESDA Caregiving NCII Holders Needed in Israel (official news)
• Center for Healthcare Professions Cebu - Caregiving NCII fees
• SICES Institute of Health Care and Vocational Studies - Caregiving NC II
• K-Teknika Caregiving School - Caregiving Course NC II fees
• JCA Law Office - Filipino Caregiver Pathway to Canada PR: Complete Guide 2026
• SSW Japan Study Portal - Specified Skilled Worker Status "Nursing Care"
• Indeed Philippines - Caregiver Salaries
• SchoolFinderPH - TESDA Courses Guide