Canada: New Pilot Programs for Caregivers Announced

Update – December 22, 2025: The Canadian government has paused new intakes under the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots until further notice as demand continues to exceed available spaces. The pause is intended to prioritize processing of existing applications. The pilots will no longer reopen in March 2026, as previously anticipated. Applications already submitted will continue to be processed in accordance with Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan. We will provide updates as they become available.    

Update – February 28, 2025: IRCC has published further details on the eligibility criteria for the new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots. Notably, there will be two streams: (1) Workers in Canada and (2) Applicants outside Canada. However, only the Workers in Canada stream will open on March 31, 2025, while the stream for applicants outside Canada will open later. The eligibility criteria are listed on the government’s website. Applicants under these pilots are not subject to the Labour Market Impact Assessment requirement.

Update – January 30, 2025: IRCC has announced that the new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots will open on March 31, 2025. Interested applicants should check the government’s website for program details and updates and can work with their immigration professionals for case-specific advice. 

June 4, 2024: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced it will open new immigration pilot programs for caregivers. According to IRCC, the new pilot programs will offer home care workers permanent residence status on arrival in Canada (instead of requiring a certain amount of work experience in Canada before applying for permanent residence). They will also be allowed to work for organizations that provide temporary or part-time care for individuals who are semi-independent or recovering from an injury or illness (which is not currently allowed under existing caregiver programs). To be eligible, applicants must attain a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 (whereas currently they must attain level 5); hold the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma (whereas currently they require a post-secondary credential); have recent and relevant work experience; and receive an offer for a full-time home care job. A timeframe for implementation of the pilots has not yet been announced but more information on eligibility criteria and application details will be available before the launch. The announcement comes as the existing Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot come to a close on June 17, 2024, while the government works toward making the caregiver pilot programs permanent.