Caregiver Program

The Caregiver program is for individuals who want to migrate and work in Canada as caregivers. A new caregiver immigration pilot program was launched on June 18, 2019, and has replaced the previous caregiver programs. The new caregiver pilot program has more flexibility and has more good news for prospective caregiver applicants. The new caregiver program has a quota of 5,500 total applications every year under both caregiver pilots i.e.

• Under Home Child Care Provider Pilot (HCCP), a total of 2,750 applications each year; and
• Under Home Support Worker Pilot (HSWP), a total of 2,750 applications each year.

• In the new caregiver pilot immigration program, the caregiver program is no longer employer-specific. However, it is still employer-driven, meaning caregivers still need Canadian employers to hire them, but now employers are not required to undergo the LMIA process to hire a caregiver.
• It’s an occupation-specific profession rather than employer-specific, which means caregivers are not bound to work for that specific employer or location once they receive their work permits. They are free to work for any or as many employers or locations as they want or can find, but with the same National Occupation Classification Code.
• In the new caregiver program, the whole family, like spouses and children, can come to Canada alongside the principal applicant even at the work permit stage and later can be part of the application for permanent residence; while living in Canada.

The new pilots will only provide work permits to applicants who have a job offer in Canada along with meeting the following criteria:

1. Have language test results with a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 in English/French.
2. The applicant has one year of Canadian post-secondary education or has an equivalent foreign education.
3. The applicant is admissible to Canada.

• Caregivers who are already working in Canada can also apply for permanent residence. Also, caregivers working in Canada with Canadian employers under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 4411 can apply for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot. Similarly, Caregivers with work experience under NOC 4412 can apply for permanent residence through the Home Support Worker Pilot.

This program is a five-year program that allows caregivers to migrate to Canada along with family members. This program will enable caregivers to become permanent residents in Canada eventually. To be eligible for the Home Child Care Program, applicants must have a job offer as Caregivers or have working experience in Canada. The applicant must have qualifying work experience according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The applicant must have one year of full-time experience as:

• Home Child Care Provider – NOC 4411 (experience as a foster parent is not applicable)
• Home Support Worker-NOC 4412 (experience as a housekeeper is not relevant)

Some exclusions include childcare workers – day-care (in 4214 Early childhood educators and assistants) & Live-in caregivers for seniors and persons with disabilities (in 4412 Home support workers, housekeepers, and related occupations)

A Home Child Care Provider can be anyone providing care to children in a home, including:

• Babysitter
• Nanny
• Child-care live in
• Childcare provider in a private home.
• A parent’s helper

To qualify as a Home Child Care Provider (HCCP), the caregiver needs to meet the following requirements:

• The provider must have completed at least the Canadian Secondary School equivalent education.
• The care provider must complete the appropriate training.
• Have relevant experience, including household management experience.
• In some cases, first aid certification and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training may also be required.

A Home Child Care Provider may have the following duties:

• Supervise and take care of children at their residences.
• Prepare and feed meals to children.
• Take care of infants by preparing formulas, changing diapers, bathing, and dressing them.
• Ensure the child’s emotional well-being is being taken care of along with their social development.
• Maintain discipline as instructed by the parents.
• Provide educational training to the children. Take them to school if required.
• Keep records of the children’s activities.

This program is for professionals with experience in providing aare for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and people recovering from illness or undergoing medical treatment. This program falls under NOC 4412. It is a category that requires care to be provided at the employer’s residence and allows the caregiver to reside within the employer’s home. Employment in this category is done by home care, support agencies, private households or can be self-employed. For housekeepers, all types of house management duties will be required.

Professionals under this category may be any of the following:

• Family caregivers
• Home support worker
• Attendant for people with disabilities
• Live-in caregiver for seniors
• Respite worker
• Housekeeper
• Personal aide as a home support

The following are the requirements:

• The provider must have completed at least secondary school.
• Experience in house management.
• Have completed college or other courses in-home support.
• In some cases, first aid certification may also be required.
• Training in care for the elderly, people with disabilities, and convalescent care.

A home support worker/housekeeper may have the following duties:

• Provide care/companionship for families/individuals during healing and medical treatment.
• Take care of personal hygiene, dress & undress and provide ambulation to the individual.
• Prepare meals and special diets. Ensure the client is being fed according to their needs.
• Perform routine health-related duties.
• Collect medications or specimens under the direction of the household/home care agency/nurse etc.
• Housekeeping management may include laundry, washing dishes, making beds, etc.
• Housekeepers may have to perform house management duties, which may include preparing meals, serving meals, doing dishes, laundry, and taking care of children if required.

Under the new caregiver program, the caregivers will be scrutinized for their permanent residence applications before getting the work permit to work with their Canadian employers as Home Child Care Providers or Home Support Workers. 

Caregivers will receive the decision on their work permit applications in around 10-12 months. Their PR applications will be held until they complete their two years of work experience with the Canadian employer(s). The caregiver who is already in Canada on an old live-in Caregiver or Home Caregiver program can also apply to convert into this new program or file for the permanent residence application, provided they meet the PR requirements of the new caregiver program.

The new caregiver program will put the caregivers at ease as it will address this issue, as the Caregivers will now have an opportunity to live in Canada permanently. The applications will be processed through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or the Home Support Worker Pilot, replacing the Caring for Children & Caring for People with High Medical Needs.

The new caregiver program has two simultaneous applications at the same time:

1. Application for work permit of caregiver and, if applicable dependent spouse open work permit and study permit(s) or visitor visa(s) of dependent children (if applicable)
2. Permanent Residence application for the whole family

To qualify for a work permit and permanent residence under Home Child Care Provider HCCP or Home Support Worker Pilot HSWP the following conditions need to be met:

• The applicant should have a valid full-time job offer from a Canadian employer (a private home where the care will be provided to a child or children or high medical needs patent(s).
• Applicants should have a valid one-year verifiable experience in the same discipline under which they apply, i.e. under HCCP or HSWP.
• Have language test results with a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 in English/French.
• The applicant has one year of Canadian post-secondary education or has an equivalent foreign education.
• The applicant is admissible to Canada.

As soon as the applicant receives a work permit, they will be allowed to:

1. Come to Canada and work on an interim basis.
2. Work only in specific occupations (mostly related to Caregiving and support).
3. Work without a Labour Market Impact Assessment LMIA.
4. Gather two years of work experience to finalize their already applied permanent residence application. If the applicant has partial previous work experience as a Caregiver, Child Care Provider, or Support Worker in Canada, their experience will be added to eligibility for permanent residence.

Further following conditions should be met for the processing of their PR application:

1. Should not be inadmissible on medical and security or background checks and meet specific eligibility requirements.
2. Should have gained two years of Canadian work experience with a Canadian employer on a valid work permit in the same discipline as their original work permit.

In case an already-in-Canada caregiver does NOT meet the requirements for permanent residence as a Caregiver under the new caregiver permanent residence program, they can work on an interim basis. If the applicant is currently working in Canada and wishes to extend their work permit, they may do so through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP); however, the applicant will need a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) provided by the employer.

This program is closed to new applicants. The applicants can apply for permanent residence through the Live-in Care Program ONLY if:

1. The applicant has at least two years of work experience as a Caregiver.
2. The applicant is already working with a work permit with the Live-in Caregiver Program.
3. The applicant has an approved Live-in Caregiver Program work permit with an LMIA submitted BEFORE November 30, 2014.

If the applicant has sufficient work experience in Canada but does not meet the above requirements, they can choose another program to immigrate to Canada.

According to the IRCC, work permits have a standard 12-month processing time. Permanent residence applications may take up to 6 months to process if the applicant has sufficient work experience.