As a caregiver, you have options to come to Canada to become a permanent resident or to work temporarily.
On January 1, 2024 at exactly 9 a.m. EST, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot will start accepting permanent residency applications from caregivers, with a limited number of spots available.
IRCC is anticipating 5,500 submissions in 2024 from these 2 pilot programs offering Canada PR pathways for caregivers.
It is therefore important that potential applicants prepare as much as possible ahead of time because the caps on the Home Child Care Provider Pilot in particular tend to be reached very quickly.
In 2023, the IRCC accepted 1,650 applications for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot but the cap of 1,500 online applications was reached on the very first day, on January 1, 2023. The cap of 150 alternate format applications was reached exactly a month later, on February 1, 2023.
The Home Support Worker Pilot’s cap of 1,650 applications received either online or in alternate formats was reached on November 28, 2023.
In 2024, the caregiver pilot applications are obviously going to fill up even more quickly as Ottawa revised the requirements in 2023, lowering the minimum amount of work experience needed by foreign national caregivers in-country to apply for Canada permanent residence to only one year instead of two years!
By reducing the work experience required in Canada to one year, more caregivers and their families will become eligible to transition to permanent residence sooner, meaning that they can settle down and start the next chapter of their lives here in Canada.”
The IRCC anticipates that this change will significantly enhance the processing times for these applications, benefiting as many as 90% of applications currently in progress.
This adjustment aims to provide an advantage for both new caregivers entering the system and those who have already been engaged in caregiving in Canada.
Going by the above trend of upper limit on applications being reached so quickly, the best bet for foreign nationals is to get everything ready ahead of time before they attempt to apply through either of these two caregiver pilots by doing the following before the cap resets:
- Create an account in the permanent residence portal (if you don’t already have one).
- If you already have an account, you won’t be able to access any applications you started before the cap reset. This is because online applications expire about 30 days after a cap has been reached. You’ll need to start a new application once the cap resets on January 1.
The immigration minister Sean Fraser also suggested that the existing Canada caregiver pilot programs might transition into permanent programs starting in June 2024.
What's Covered in This Article
Canada Permanent Residence for caregivers
Keeping your temporary resident status
You must always have valid temporary resident status while working in Canada. You must apply to
- extend your work permit before it expires or
- change its conditions before it expires
If you applied for a new work permit before your current permit expired, you can keep working under the same conditions of your original work permit while you wait for a decision. This is called “maintained status” (previously known as implied status). See below for more details.
Work permit applications related to a permanent residence application
Work permit applications not related to a permanent residence program (such as the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot)
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot
You may be able to apply for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot if you
- meet the eligibility requirements
- have a job offer to work in one of these occupations
Through these pilots, you’ll get an open work permit to come to Canada and work temporarily. This work permit
- is occupation-restricted (so you have to work in that specific occupation)
- doesn’t need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA)
- lets you get the work experience you need to be eligible for permanent residence
If you recently worked as a home child care provider or support worker, your experience may count towards your eligibility for permanent residence.
The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot are 5-year pilot programs that let qualified caregivers and their family members come to Canada with the goal of becoming permanent residents.
If you’ve been offered a job in Canada as a caregiver or have experience working in Canada as a caregiver, you may be able to apply for permanent residence through one of these pilots.
The application process will be different depending on your situation and how much qualifying work experience you have.
Qualifying work experience
Qualifying work experience means you’ve worked full-time in Canada in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) jobs:
Home child care provider (NOC 44100)
- You must care for children in your own home or in your employer’s private home.
- The location can’t be an institutional setting such as a daycare.
- You don’t need to live in your employer’s home to qualify.
- Experience as a foster parent doesn’t count.
Home support worker (NOC 44101)
- You must care for someone who needs help from a home support worker in your employer’s private home.
- The location can’t be an institutional setting such as a nursing home.
- You don’t need to live in your employer’s home to qualify.
PR Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Canada Home Child Care Provider Pilot & Home Support Worker Pilot:
- a job offer;
- CLB 5 language level, and;
- one year of Canadian post-secondary education or its foreign equivalent.
Applicants For Canada Caregiver Pilot Programs Must Have Valid Job Offers
A legitimate and valid job offer is essential to initiate or fulfill the necessary work experience for obtaining Canada permanent residency under the Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker Pilot.
To formalize this job offer, the Offer of Employment IMM 5983 (PDF, 2.33 MB) form must be used. Please note that this form is accessible on a desktop after downloading.
It is crucial that the offer is from a reputable source, affirming a genuine need for your employment, either for personal care or the care of a family member like a parent, spouse, or child.
The Canadian immigration department evaluates the compensation included in your job offer, ensuring that it reflects a fair and reasonable payment for the services provided.
Moreover, the offer should illustrate that working as a caregiver in Canada will enable you to maintain a stable financial situation for both yourself and your family.
The position you are being offered needs to be full-time, requiring a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week, and it must be located outside of Quebec. The offer should come from a Canadian individual or family, excluding entities such as companies, embassies, high commissions, or consulates.
Occupations eligible for Canada Caregiver Program
If you have worked in one of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) jobs full-time in Canada, you are eligible to use your work experience for permanent residency:
| Home child care providers (NOC 44100) | Home Support Worker Pilot (NOC 44101) |
|---|---|
|
|
How to Apply for Canada PR as a CareGiver
There are two categories under these pilot programs:
| Gaining Experience Category | Direct-to-Permanent Residency (PR) Category |
|---|---|
| This category is for applicants if they have not worked “OR” have less than 12 months of experience in any of the occupations under NOC 44100 or NOC 44101. | This category is for applicants if they have total of 12 months or more experience (in last 36 months) in any of the occupations under NOC 44100 or NOC 44101 |
| Eligible candidates get work permit to accumulate 12 months of experience in Canada and can then apply for Direct Permanent residency after gaining the full experience and becoming eligible under Direct to Permanent Residency Category | To apply for PR, applicants need: 1. At least 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada in the last 36 months 2. Post-secondary education of at least 1 year 3. Any past experience or training that demonstrates the candidate is able to do the work described in the job offer |
| To apply for a work permit, applicants need: 1. A valid full-time job offer (IMM 5983 E) 2. CLB level 5 in English or French (IELTS = Reading 4 and rest of the modules 5) 3. Post-secondary education of at least 1 year 4. Any past experience or training that demonstrates the candidate is able to do the work described in the job offer |
If you have over 12 months of experience and you already applied to the Gaining experience category
If you’ve never worked full-time as a caregiver in Canada or have less than 12 months of work experience, you can apply to the Gaining experience category.
If you’ve worked full-time as a caregiver in Canada for a total of 12 months or more in the last 36 months, you can apply to the Direct to permanence category.
To apply, refer to the official IRCC guide for home child care providers and home support workers to prepare for January 1st, depending on your specific circumstances.
Eligible individuals can submit their applications through the online application gateway provided by the new permanent residence portal.
Crucial Note:
The Home Child Care Provider Pilot often reaches its capacity quickly. For guidance on preparing for January 1 and submitting your application, please follow this link.
