IRCC has introduced new routes to permanent residence for home care workers. On 31 March 2025, the Home Care Worker pilot programme formally came into operation.
These routes reached their application cap within hours of opening and are not accepting applications at present.
Contents
Overview
On 31 March 2025, IRCC launched 2 new immigration streams for home care workers, known collectively as the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP).
These streams comprise:
- The Workers in Canada stream
- The Applicants Not Working in Canada stream.
These programmes were first announced in June 2024, replacing Canada’s “Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Pilots”, and carry similar work experience and language testing requirements, set out in detail below.
Home care workers without status in Canada may also be eligible for the HCWP under a public policy. IRCC has announced that a limited number of places will be available for this group.
Find out more aboutthe Caregivers programme.
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Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for the HCWP are summarised in the table below:
| Eligibility criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Work experience | Candidates must have: – 6 months of recent, relevant work experience. – An educational qualification of at least 6 months relating to home care training. No Canadian work experience is required for these new streams. |
| Language ability | Candidates must have language ability atCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)level 4 in English or French |
| Job offer | Candidates must hold a job offer from: – A private household. – An organisation that directly employs full-time home care workers to provide short-term or occasional home care. NoLabour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)is required in support of the job offer. |
| Education | Candidates must hold at least a secondary school qualification or equivalent. Candidates who completed secondary education outside Canada will need their education assessed through anEducational Credential Assessment (ECA). |
In addition to the conditions above, candidates must also intend to reside in a Canadian province or territory other than Quebec in order to qualify for the HCWP.
Job offer conditions
Where not employed by a private household, candidates must hold a job offer from one of the following organisations:
- A home health care service provider.
- A home care support service provider.
- A direct care agency.
- A personal care service in a residential setting.
- A paediatric home health care service provider.
Job offers from recruitment and placement agencies are not eligible.
Language requirements
HCWP candidates must demonstrate that they meet the language requirement in English or French at the corresponding Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level.
Candidates must sit an IRCC-approved language test to demonstrate their ability, and must achieve a minimum of CLB 4 in all four language skills in order to qualify.
How to apply
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)recommends that home care workers and international students in Canada begin taking an official language test in preparation for the next opening date.
IRCC has not yet published details of the application process for eligible foreign nationals outside Canada.
The department expects to publish further details of the application process for these new streams when the HCWP opens.
Read the details of the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot on the government website athere.
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