The Caregivers programme

Caregivers play an important role in Canada’s economy and society. With an ageing population and a low birth rate, Canada offers a number of immigration pathways and work permits for caregivers.

Overview

Canada has a long history of welcoming caregivers to support its economy and society. One of the reasons Canada has a world-leading immigration system is that it continually modernises its immigration policies and programmes. In that spirit, Canada has reformed its caregiver pathways to permanent residence in recent years.

Canada operated two pilot programmes for caregivers seeking permanent residence. The pilots also allowed applicants to obtain a temporary work permit while waiting for permanent residence:

• The Home Child Care Provider Pilot.
• The Home Support Worker Pilot.

Each programme accepted up to 2,750 principal applicants, for a combined total of 5,500 principal applicants, each year.

Note that, as of 30 April 2023, the amount of Canadian work experience required for caregivers to qualify for permanent residence was reduced from 24 months to 12 months. The change to the work experience requirement applies retroactively to caregivers who have already applied.

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot

Detailed article on theHome Care Worker Immigration Pilot.

On 31 March 2025, Canada will launch two new streams allowing caregivers to receive Canadian permanent residence on arrival.

These caregiver streams will be known collectively as the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot and will comprise:

• The stream for workers already in Canada
• The stream for applicants not working in Canada.

Both streams have modest work experience and language testing requirements, and the programme is designed for foreign home care workers who wish to settle in a Canadian province outside Quebec.

The former Caregivers programme

As of 17 June 2024, the caregiver pathways comprising the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot have closed.

However, applicants previously in the “Gaining experience” category who applied before this date and have since accumulated the required amount of work experience may submit proof of that work experience toImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)so that their permanent residence application can be assessed under the caregiver programme.

Both caregiver programmes, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot, granted permanent residence to caregivers who met the following criteria:

• As of 30 April 2023, at least 12 months of eligible full-time work experience within the 36 months preceding the application.
• Language test results showing aCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)of 5.
• One year of post-secondary education in Canada, or a foreign equivalent.
• Passing the admissibility checks (medical, criminal and security).

Work experience

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sets out the following information on the work experience criteria for the pilots:

• As of 30 April 2023, applicants need at least 12 months of full-time work experience within the 36 months preceding their application to the pilot.
• The work experience must fall underNational Occupational Classification (NOC)code 4411 or 4412.
• The work experience must be in one of these occupations; it cannot be a combination of the two.
• Applicants must show that their work matched the NOC job description and that they performed most of the main duties.
• The work experience does not need to be 12 consecutive months. It only needs to total 12 months.
• Full-time work is defined as at least 30 paid hours of work per week.

Caregivers with work experience under NOC 4411 (excluding foster parents) may qualify for permanent residence through the caregiver Home Child Care Provider Pilot:

• The applicant must have cared for a child under 18 in their own home or in the employer’s home.
• The applicant does not need to have lived in the employer’s home to qualify.
• Work experience as a foster parent does not count.

Caregivers with work experience under NOC 4412 (excluding housekeepers) may qualify for permanent residence through the caregiver Home Support Worker Pilot:

• The applicant must have cared for a person requiring support from a home support worker. This may have taken place in their own home or in the employer’s home.
• The applicant does not need to have lived in the employer’s home to qualify.
• Only home support work qualifies under NOC 4412.
• Work experience as a housekeeper does not count.

Language proficiency

Applicants must sit an IRCC-designated English or French language test and achieve CLB or NCLC 5 in all four language skills: writing, reading, listening and speaking.

Education

Applicants must have completed a post-secondary qualification of at least one year. This may be Canadian or foreign education. If the education was obtained abroad, the applicant must obtain anEducational Credential Assessment (ECA).

Other requirements

IRCC carries out admissibility checks on applicants for permanent residence to ensure that newcomers do not pose a risk to the health and safety of Canadians. Each applicant must submit different documents depending on their background. IRCC sets out its requirements in the application guide. Depending on your background, you may need to submit:

• Biometrics.
• A medical examination.
• Police certificates.

You should read IRCC’s application requirements carefully to understand which documents you personally need to submit.

Work permit pathways for caregivers

Caregivers in occupations corresponding to National Occupational Classification (NOC) code 44100 (Home Child Care Provider Pilot) or 44101 (Home Support Worker Pilot) can obtain a work permit quickly through theTemporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

To be eligible to apply for a work permit based on aLabour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), caregivers must:

• Have an employer who has obtained a positive LMIA to hire a caregiver.
• Currently be outside Canada and intend to work in the province of Quebec.
• Currently be in Canada and in one of the following situations:
  • They hold a valid study or work permit.
  • They are authorised to work in Canada without a work permit (business visitors are not covered by this condition).
  • They intend to work in Quebec and are eligible to apply for a work permit from within Canada.

Foreign caregivers in Canada who applied for a new caregiver work permit before their previous work permit expired may begin working before the new work permit is issued. This applies to:

• Caregivers who were already working for the employer holding their positive LMIA; or
• Caregivers changing employer, if they submit arequest to change jobswhile IRCC processes their application.