Apply now for the 2024 Caregiver Pilot Program with IRCC.

Starting on January 1st, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin accepting applications for two caregiver pilot programs: The Home Childcare Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot under the Direct to Permanent Residence category.

These programs are for people who have experience working in caregiving. Both pilot programs started in 2019 and will end on June 17, 2024. In 2022, about 1,100 caregivers and their family members became permanent residents through these programs.

IRCC suggests that eligible candidates interested in applying should do so as soon as possible. The cap for 2023 of online applicants in the Home Child Care Provider Pilot (1,000) was reached on April 14, 2023. However, there still are available spots for the Home Support Worker Pilot in 2023, according to the website.

WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT HALVED IN 2023. 

In February 2023, IRCC made it easier for caregivers to qualify for immigration programs. They reduced the required work experience from 24 to 12 months of full-time work, affecting 90% of applicants.

To meet this requirement, applicants need to have worked at least 30 hours per week for 12 months within the 36 months before applying. Work experience as a student doesn’t count.

Candidates must also have work experience in jobs categorized under National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 4411 or 4412. It’s important that the work matches the job description in the NOC and covers most of the main duties. Mixing different jobs under these codes is not allowed.

The following requirements for candidates remained the same in 2023. For example, they must be able to demonstrate

• Language test results showing a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5.
• One year of Canadian post-secondary education or the foreign equivalent.
• Pass an admissibility check (health, criminality, and security).

TEMPORARY RESIDENT CAREGIVERS.

Caregivers who aren’t eligible for permanent residency under these programs can still apply to extend their work permit through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

To do this, their employer needs to get a positive or neutral Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). An LMIA shows that the employer couldn’t find a Canadian or permanent resident with the necessary skills for the job.

If ESDC sees that hiring a foreign worker through the TFWP will benefit or not harm Canada’s economy, the employer can hire them. Workers under the TFWP have closed work permits, meaning they can’t work for any other employer in Canada.