Caregiver Program

Caregivers in Canada are presented with three distinct caregiver programs. These programs serve as pathways for caregivers to either work temporarily or pursue permanent residency within Canada. Caregivers can carefully choose the program that best suits their individual work experience and aspirations.

Home Child Care Provider & Home Support Worker Pilot are 5 Years pilot programs launched in June 2019 and are set to expire in 2024 that make the Caregivers and their family members come to Canada with their objective of becoming Permanent Residence. If you have been offered a job in Canada as a Caregiver or having experience as a Caregiver working in Canada, then you may be eligible to apply for Permanent Residence through any of these pilot program.

A job offer/work experience in Canada is needed to be eligible for these pilot programs, however, a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) is not required.

Home Child Care Provider

Home child care providers assist parents in caring for their children under 18 in own or employer’s home and may also undertake household chores.

Care can be delivered either at the caregiver’s own residence or at the employer’s home.

The pilot program is available to individuals interested in various child care roles, including:

• Private home child caregiver

• Live-in child caregiver

• Au pair

• Babysitter

• Nanny

• Parent’s helper

• Foster parent

Home Support Worker Pilot

The pilot program is available to individuals interested in various home support roles, including:

• Attendant for a person with disabilities – Home care

• Family Caregiver

• Home Support Worker

• Live in Caregiver Worker – Seniors

• Personal aid – Home Support

• Personal Care attendant – Home Care

• Respite worker – Home Support

• Doula

 

The allocation for both pilots is a maximum of 5,500 applications per year, processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and is split as follows:

• • Home Child Care Provider Pilot (HCCPP): 2,750 applications per year
    • • ​Gaining experience category: 1,650 applications
        • 1,500 online applications – 2024 allocation: Closed as of January 1, 2024
        • 150 alternate format applications – 2024 allocation: Closed as of January 26, 2024

     

    • Direct to permanent residence category: 1,100 applications
      • 1,000 online applications – 2024 allocation: Closed now
      • 100 alternate format applications – 2024 allocation: Closed now

 

• Home Support Worker Pilot (HSWP): 2,750 applications per year 
  • ​Gaining experience category: 1,650 applications – 2024 allocation: Closed now (Submit your application before the cap is reached or before the program ends on June 17, 2024.
  • Direct to permanent residence category: 1,100 applications – 2024 allocation: Currently now (Submit your application before the cap is reached or before the program ends on June 17, 2024.

The application process will be different depending on your situation and how much qualifying work experience you have:

Gaining experience category:

• If you have never worked full time in Canada or have less than 12 months of qualifying work experience in Canada, you may apply under this category.

Direct to permanent residence category:

• If you have worked full time a caregiver in Canada for a total of 12 months or more in the last 36 months, you may apply under this category.

Eligibility for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot & Home Support Worker Pilot:

Gaining Experience Category (Less than 12 months of Qualifying Work Experience):

Job Offer:

• Job offer must be for either a Home Child Care Provider (NOC 44100) or a Home Support Worker (NOC 44101).

• Care can be provided either in the caregiver’s own home or the employer’s private home.

• Foster parenting experience is not considered for this program.

• Must be full-time (minimum 30 hours per week).

• Salary must be sufficient to support the caregiver and family, meeting prevailing wage standards.

• Offer must come from a Canadian employer outside Quebec and not from certain types of organizations.

• Job offer must be genuine, reflecting a real need for caregiving. Employer may offer the job for their own care or the care of someone like a parent, a spouse or a child.

Ability to do the work:

• • Candidates any past experience or training with respect to these jobs may be considered.

Work Experience:

• • • If never worked full time as a caregiver in Canada or have less than 12 months of work experience (However, if you have 12 months of experience or more you can apply to the direct to Permanent Residence category).
    • The qualifying work experience must be in one of these pilot programs, it cannot be mix of both jobs.

Education:

• • • Minimum post-secondary education credential of at least one year in Canada or its equivalent abroad.
    • If education was obtained outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is necessary.

Language Proficiency:

• • • Minimum language requirement: CLB 5 (Canadian Language Benchmarks) or equivalent in all four language abilities: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Plan to live outside the province of Quebec:

• • • • Must plan to live outside the province of Quebec as a Permanent Resident

Live-in –Arrangements:

• • • • The employer cannot require you to live in their home the employer and the caregiver may decide own a live-in-arrangement which is appropriate to the person getting care. Therefore, the caregiver can live in his or her home, or his or her employer’s private home.

Admissibility

• • • • Must not be inadmissible to Canada

Direct to Permanent Residence Category (At least 12 months of Qualifying Work Experience):

• • • Work Experience:
      • Have at least 12 months of eligible work experience in Canada within the last 36 months.
      • Experience must be in either Home Child Care Provider (NOC 44100) or Home Support Worker (NOC 44101) roles. It cannot be mix of both types of experience.
      • Work can be performed in either the caregiver’s own home or the employer’s private home.
      • Foster parenting experience is not considered for this program.
      • Experience from both job categories cannot be combined to meet the 12-month requirement.
      • Work does not need to be consecutive, but should total 12 months within the 36-month period.
      • Work experience from Quebec can be counted if the applicant lives outside Quebec when applying or plans to move to another province or territory.
      • Only paid full-time work hours are counted, with a minimum of 30 hours per week.
      • Full time experience working for a business may also be counted.
      • Hours worked as a full-time student or without authorization are not eligible.

Education:

• • • • Minimum post-secondary education credential of at least one year in Canada or its equivalent abroad.
      • An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is required for education obtained outside Canada.

Language Proficiency:

• • • • Minimum language requirement: CLB 5 (Canadian Language Benchmarks) or equivalent in all four language abilities: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Plan to live outside the province of Quebec:

• • • • Must plan to live outside the province of Quebec as a Permanent Resident

Admissibility

• • • • Must not be inadmissible to Canada

Note: If you have now enough qualifying work (over 12 months) and you have already applied under the Gaining Experience Category, you must send IRCC this proof no later than 36 months after you get your work permit.

Work Temporarily as a Caregiver:

You may work temporarily as a caregiver in Canada, specifically as a home child care provider or home support worker:

You can apply for a LMIA-based Work Permit in these caregiving categories through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) if:

• • 1. • You are currently outside Canada and planning to work in Quebec.
       • You are inside Canada and hold a valid study or work permit, or you are eligible to work without a work permit.

Restrictions on Applying:

• You cannot apply for this type of work permit if you are outside Canada and do not plan to work in Quebec.

• Applications are not accepted at ports of entry or if you are in Canada as a visitor.

• This work permit cannot be applied for simultaneously with a permanent residence application under the specific pilot programs for caregivers.

Applying from Inside Canada:

• • 1. • If already in Canada on a different permit and plan to work in Quebec, you may apply for a work permit as a caregiver.

Requirement for Employer:

• • 1. • Employers must first obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before you can apply for a work permit.

Faster Processing:

• • 1. • Applications for caregivers in these specific NOC categories generally receive faster processing.

Exclusions:

• • 1. • If you want to work in caregiving roles other than home child care or home support, you must follow the standard work permit application process.

Additional Options for Other Occupations:

• • 1. • Visitors in Canada might be able to apply for a work permit in another occupation based on eligibility and application guidelines.

FAQs

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