New Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots: Streams and Qualifying Criteria

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will launch the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots on March 31, 2025, replacing the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, which closed to new applications on June 17, 2024. These pilots offer a pathway to permanent residence for caregivers. Below is an outline of the two application streams and eligibility criteria based on details from IRCC’s website.

Two Streams: In-Canada and Outside-Canada Applicants

The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots consist of two streams based on the applicant’s location at the time of application:

1. In-Canada Applicants
   This stream is for caregivers currently in Canada with a valid work permit or maintained status. IRCC will accept applications from this group starting March 31, 2025. Successful applicants will receive permanent residence.
2. Outside-Canada Applicants
   This stream is for caregivers applying from outside Canada. IRCC will open applications for this group at a later date, to be announced. Approved applicants will receive permanent residence upon arrival in Canada. Immediate family members (spouse or common-law partner and dependent children) may also be eligible for open work or study permits.

Qualifying Criteria

Applicants for either stream must meet the following requirements:

• Language Proficiency: A minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in English or French is required in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Accepted tests include IELTS, CELPIP, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada.
• Education: Applicants must have the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma. For foreign credentials, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an IRCC-designated organization is required.
• Work Experience: At least six months of full-time caregiving experience within the three years prior to applying is necessary. Eligible experience must be in a residential setting under National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 4 codes, such as NOC 44100 (home child care providers) or NOC 44101 (home support workers). Housekeeping or foster parenting experience does not qualify.
• Job Offer: A full-time job offer (minimum 30 hours per week) from a Canadian employer is required. Employers can include private households or organizations providing in-home temporary or part-time care to semi-independent individuals or those recovering from injury or illness. Employment agencies are excluded.
• LMIA Exempt: No Labour Market Impact Assessment Opinion from Service Canada is required under the new program.
• Admissibility: Applicants must pass medical exams, criminal background checks, and security screenings as per Canadian immigration standards.

Program Details

The pilots allow caregivers to work for organizations providing in-home care, in addition to private households. Successful applicants in both streams receive permanent residence immediately, without needing prior Canadian work experience under the program. The latter will remove much of the friction points that caused problems for a large number of applicants, leaving some caregivers in legal limbo for years at a time. Our only criticism is that we feel the required English proficiency exam score has been made too low. It should have remained at CLB 5.