Starting March 31, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is introducing new pilot programs aimed at addressing the country’s growing need for in-home caregivers. These updated Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots will offer a more direct and accessible pathway to permanent residency for qualified caregivers who wish to support Canadian families.
With simplified eligibility, faster processing, and greater clarity, the new pilots are designed to attract skilled workers — especially those with experience caring for children, the elderly, or individuals with medical needs.
“This newly revamped program is the best I have seen in years and is applicable to those workers in Canada and outside Canada. This program will provide a path to permanent residence to those who have been selected.
The reason for the improvements is that there is no mandatory LMIA requirement anymore. Current LMIA waiting times are 7 months to a year in some cases. Waiting that long defeats the timeliness of getting a caregiver to Canada in time to address the needs of the people they are coming to take care of.
Other eligibility milestones that have been improved for are:
- Caregivers must have a minimum of level 4 in English or French in the CLB or NCLC
- Have the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma (or higher)
- Have at least 6 months of recent and relevant work experience or a related caregiver training credential
- Have an offer for a full-time home care job
If the government applies the same common sense to other categories as they are to this one, I believe we will have a much more efficient processing of cases.
There is a strong case to fill the demand for these care workers . It is logical to extend these types of programs on a supply/demand basis to the trades, business, the professions and other sectors, and not on policies that are designed to win votes.“