CANADA’S TWO NEW CAREGIVER IMMIGRATION PILOTS ARE NOW OPEN T

Canada starts accepting applications to its two new caregiver immigration pilots – The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, which replace the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots.

These new pilots provide eligible caregivers with a pathway to permanent residence once they’ve acquired two years of Canadian work experience.

The applications filed to the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots before June 18 will still be processed, however, applications will no longer be accepted through these pilots after that date.

The new Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots’ offer work permits to caregivers who have a job offer in Canada and who meet the following criteria:

Have language tests results showing a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 in English or French;
Have one year of Canadian post-secondary education or the foreign equivalent; and
Are admissible to Canada

Caregivers, who are already working in Canada on a work permit and meet these criteria, can also apply for permanent residence through the new pilots.

Caregivers with work experience in National Occupational Classification (NOC) 4411 (excluding foster parents) are eligible for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot.

On the other side, Caregivers who have work experience in NOC 4412 (excluding housekeepers) are eligible for permanent residence through the Home Support Worker Pilot.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the new pilots have a 12-month processing standard for work permit applications and a six-month processing standard for applications for permanent residence from those who meet the work experience requirement.
MAJOR UPDATES TO NEW PILOTS

Key changes from the previous Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots include:

Occupation-specific work permits rather than employer-specific work permits, which will allow caregivers to change employers;
Caregiver’s immediate family will also be entitled to open work permits and/or study permits;
Employers will no longer require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before hiring a caregiver from overseas.

The new pilots have a maximum target of 2,750 principal applicants per year, for a total of 5,500 principal applicants, plus their immediate family members.
INTERIM PATHWAY FOR CAREGIVERS EXTENDED

IRCC also announced that its Interim Pathway for Caregivers will reopen to new applications for three months starting July 8.