Canada provides options for caregivers to immigrate to Canada and become a permanent resident or work temporarily.
As of June 18, 2019, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot was launched and replaced the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots.
Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot
This new pilot provides a gateway for eligible caregivers and their family members to come to Canada with the intention of gaining permanent resident status. If you are a caregiver who has acquired 2 years of full-time work experience in the last 36 months in Canada, then you may be eligible to apply for one of these two pilot programs. The work experience does not have to be continuous but must have been gained in a 36 month-period. Experience gained as a full-time student does not count toward qualifying work experience.
Qualifying Work Experience means you have worked full-time in Canada in one of these jobs:
- Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4411 (foster parent experience excluded) are eligible for the Child Care Provider Pilot
- Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4412 (housekeeper experience excluded) are eligible for the Home Support Worker Pilot
Additional requirements that must be met include the following:
- Language test proving you meet the minimum benchmark of CLB 5
- Completion of at least 1 year of post-secondary education in Canada or a foreign equivalent (must get an Educational Credential Assessment – ECA)
- Must be admissible to Canada
- Intend to live outside Quebec. You may still use your work experience in Quebec when applying under this program.
If you meet the above requirements, but don’t have the required 24 months of full-time work experience, then you will only be provided with an occupation-restricted open work permit.
Each program accepts a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants each.
Employers looking to hire oversea caregivers are no longer required to get an LMIA.
Family members will also be able to come with you to Canada and if they want to work or study while in Canada, they can include their work/study permit application with yours (the caregiver).
Contact us if you have any questions on whether you are eligible for this program!
Live-in Caregiver Program (closed to new applicants)
Those who can stilly apply for permanent residence through the LCP are those who have acquired at least 2 years of work experience in this program and:
- Already working in Canada with an LCP work permit, or
- You were approved for your first LCP work permit based on the employer’s positive LMIA application that was submitted on or before November 30th, 2014
Closed Programs
Interim Pathway for Caregivers (no longer accepting applications)
This pathway is for caregivers who:
- Have a Canadian work permit and are authorized to work here. Work permit must not be a Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) work permit at the time they are applying
- Intent to reside outside of the province of Quebec
- Have gained one year of full-time Canadian work experience as a caregiver since November 30th, 2014
- Eligible caregiver occupations are NOC group 4411 (Home child care provider) and NOC group 4412 (home support worker)
- Language test of CLB 5 for all 4 abilities (reading, speaking, listening, writing)
- Have a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent foreign credential assessed with an ECA
Caring for Children Program
This program has been terminated. Caregivers who submitted a complete application before June 18, 2019 will continue to be processed.
Caregivers who wished to apply under this program may be eligible for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot.
Caring for People with High Medical Needs Program
This program has been terminated. Caregivers who submitted a complete application before June 18, 2019 will continue to be processed.
Caregivers who wished to apply under this program may be eligible for the Home Support Worker Pilot.