Canada Unveils Home Care Worker Pilot Program Eligibility, Easing Path to Permanent Residency

The Canadian government has unveiled detailed eligibility criteria for a new immigration pilot program targeting home care workers, with the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots set to launch on March 31, 2025. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), this initiative will simplify the path to permanent residency for caregivers and broaden their employment options across Canada, as detailed on the IRCC website.

The program will operate through two streams: one for workers already in Canada, which opens on March 31, 2025, and another for overseas applicants, slated to begin later. Initially, only the “Workers in Canada” stream will accept applications, with comprehensive eligibility details available on the IRCC website. A significant feature, as noted by the IRCC, is that applicants will not need a labor market impact assessment (LMIA).

Designed as a one-step immigration process, the pilots will allow home care workers and their families to secure permanent residency without prior Canadian work experience. The IRCC website highlights that this program acknowledges the essential role caregivers play in supporting children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities while boosting Canada’s economy.

Eligibility requires a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in language skills (or its French equivalent), a high school diploma, and either relevant work experience or a minimum of six months of caregiver training. Applicants must also secure a full-time home care job offer from private households or care organizations—though not recruitment agencies—per the IRCC website.

This initiative will replace the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, which concluded on June 17, 2024, though earlier applications will still be processed. The IRCC website indicates the government’s goal to establish these pilots as a permanent program.