Canada Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot: Changes for the 2023 application process

There however are changes to the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot for the 2023 application process as below:

Changes to the pilot caps

IRCC will only accept a certain number of applications each year.

In 2023, they’ll accept the number of applications below:

Home Child Care Provider Pilot

• Gaining experience category (You have never worked full-time as a caregiver in Canada or have less than 24 months of work experience): 1,650 applications
  • This includes 1,500 online applications and 150 alternate format applications.
• Direct to permanent residence category: 1,100 applications
  • This includes 1,000 online applications and 100 alternate format applications.

Home Support Worker Pilot

• Gaining experience category: 1,650 applications
  • This total includes both online and alternate format applications.
• Direct to permanent residence category: 1,100 applications
  • This total includes both online and alternate format applications.

How to get ready for the cap reset

The cap for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot fills quickly. You may want to prepare as much as you can before the cap resets. You can:

• create an account in the Permanent Residence Portal (if you don’t already have one)
  • If you already have an account, you won’t have access to any caregiver applications you started before January 1, 2023 when the cap resets. You can only start a new application for the 2023 caps as of January 1, 2023.
• review the document checklist (PDF, 2.45 MB)
  • You’ll complete some forms online. You can review the PDF versions of these forms to prepare the information you’ll need to include. You can find the form name and number on the document checklist.
  • You’ll complete other forms in PDF format and upload them to your application. You can start completing these forms now.
  • You can start gathering the supporting documents you’ll need.
• pay your fees before you apply
  • If you pay your fees first and then can’t submit your application because the cap was reached, you can ask for a refund.

Changes to how you can apply

You must apply online through the Permanent Residence Portal. When the caps reset, you’ll need to create a new application to be able to apply. You won’t be able to access any applications you started before Jan 1, 2023.

Once you sign in to the portal, choose “Economic” when asked which program you’re applying to. You’ll then see the 4 categories available for these pilots (as long as the cap isn’t full):

• Home Child Care Provider Pilot: Gaining experience category
• Home Child Care Provider Pilot: Direct to permanent residence category
• Home Support Worker Pilot: Gaining experience category
• Home Support Worker Pilot: Direct to permanent residence category

Make sure you choose the right category. If you choose the wrong category, IRCC may return or refuse your application.

What happens if the cap is already full when you apply?

• Online applications
  You won’t be able to start an application for this category in the portal. If you started an application before IRCC reaches the cap
  • you won’t be able to submit it and
  • it will expire after approximately 30 days
• Alternate format applications
  IRCC will update their website when this cap is full. IRCC won’t accept and will return any applications they receive after the cap is full.

How the process works

Applicants under the Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker pilots can apply with or without 24 months of eligible Canadian work experience.

Gaining experience category (Category A)

An applicant with less than 24 months of eligible Canadian work experience must satisfy eligibility and admissibility requirements upfront.

Applicants must:

• meet the minimum language requirements
• meet the minimum education requirements
• have a valid job offer and be likely to accept it
• be able to perform the work
• be admissible to Canada

Officers assess applicants against the above criteria. If the applicant is eligible and admissible, the applicant is issued an occupation-restricted open work permit (OROWP) and the permanent residence application is put on hold.

Dependants applying for permanent residence with the principal applicant may also be eligible to accompany the principal applicant and may be issued open work permits or study permits.

When applying for permanent residence through one of these pilots, applicants are required to submit an application for a work permit for themselves and may include applications for work or study permits or applications to enter Canada as a visitor or to extend their stay as a visitor for any accompanying dependents along with their application for permanent residence.

Once issued an OROWP, the principal applicant must obtain 24 months of eligible, full-time, Canadian work experience. To remain eligible in the program, this must happen within 3 years of being issued their OROWP. Applicants must submit proof of obtaining this work experience within 3 years of being issued their OROWP.

Upon receipt of proof, the permanent residence application is put back into processing. An officer will assess whether the applicant meets the work experience requirement and make sure the applicant is still admissible to Canada.

In some cases, the applicant may submit the proof of work experience before IRCC issues the OROWP. In such cases, if the officer determines that the job offer is not genuine and an OROWP cannot be issued, the officer may refuse the application without assessing the work experience. The officer will only assess the work experience after they issue the OROWP.

Assessing work experience under Category A – Work experience not eligible

After the issuance of the OROWP, if the officer determines that the work experience submitted before the issuance of the OROWP does not meet the criteria for eligible work experience (e.g., insufficient duration or incorrect NOC), they may refuse the application.

Direct to permanent residence category (Category B)

An applicant with 24 months or more of eligible Canadian work experience must satisfy the following criteria:

• meet the minimum language requirements
• meet the minimum education requirements
• meet the Canadian work experience requirement
• be admissible to Canada

Assessing work experience under Category B – Work experience not eligible

If the officer determines that the work experience submitted does not meet the criteria for eligible work experience (e.g., they don’t have enough work experience, they don’t have the right work experience), they may refuse the application.