Two Pathways to Permanent Residence
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot
On June 18, 2019, Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced reforms to the former In-Home Caregiver Program. The previous program was eliminated, and two new pilot programs have been created that allow caregivers to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
- Home Child Care Provider Pilot, HCCPP
- Home Support Worker Pilot, HSWP
The new Caregiver Pilot Programs no longer require that a caregiver live with the employing family. A live-in arrangement is still available if both the employer and caregiver voluntarily agree to this arrangement, but the employer will no longer be able to deduct room and board from the caregiver’s wages, and the caregiver will no longer be able to apply for permanent resident status as a live-in caregiver.
Eligibility requirements under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot
To apply under either of the pilot programs, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer,
- meet the language requirements — CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) level 5, and
- possess a one-year Canadian post-secondary credential or have their foreign credentials assessed by a CIC-designated organization.
These two new pilot programs provide eligible caregivers with a pathway to permanent residence once they’ve accumulated two years of Canadian work experience. Applicants who meet the requirements will be issued a work permit for three years. After completing two years of work (at least 30 hours per week) under either NOC 4411 or NOC 4412, they will be able to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
Under the new pilot programs:
- the caregiver is issued an occupation-specific work permit, providing the ability to change jobs quickly if needed, and
- a spouse/common-law partner and dependent children are eligible to apply for study permits and accompany the caregiver to Canada.
Each program will accept a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants under each category per year.
Differences from the previous program
- Under these new caregiver pilot programs, the work permits are occupation specific rather than employer specific, which means that caregivers will be able to change employers.
- The great advantage of this program to caregivers is that their immediate family members are permitted to apply for open work or study permits.
- No Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required to employ a caregiver under the new pilot programs.
If you need help with a caregiver application, we’re here for you. Please complete our online questionnaire to establish if you qualify under these new programs or any other immigration category.