Home Care Provider Pilot Program
Caregiver Immigration to Canada – Home Care Worker Programs
Canada has immigration and temporary-work options for certain home child care providers and home support workers. However, it is important to distinguish between closed permanent-residence caregiver pilots and temporary caregiver work-permit options that may still be available in specific circumstances.
The current Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots – Child Care and Home Support are closed to new permanent-residence applications. IRCC continues to process applications already received.
PR Pilot Intake Closed
The current Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots are not accepting new applications.
2 Current Pilots
Child Care and Home Support, both presently closed to new intake.
Temporary Work May Differ
LMIA-based caregiver work permits may still be possible in specific situations.
Old Pilots Ended
The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots ended June 17, 2024.
Current Status of Caregiver Permanent Residence Programs
New applications are not currently being accepted. IRCC closed intake for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots while it processes the existing inventory. IRCC's 2026 economic-immigration briefing states that new intake was closed for the remainder of the pilot period from 2026 to 2030.
The current pilots originally opened in March 2025 and consist of:
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care
Designed for qualifying workers with a genuine job offer in home child care in Canada, outside Quebec.
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support
Designed for qualifying workers with a genuine job offer in home support in Canada, outside Quebec.
Because intake is closed, prospective applicants should not be told that meeting the program criteria means they can submit a new permanent-residence application now.
Important: Do Not Confuse the Old and Current Caregiver Pilots
Home Child Care Provider Pilot / Home Support Worker Pilot
These older pilots ended on June 17, 2024. IRCC continues processing applications submitted on or before that date.
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots
The newer Child Care and Home Support pilots opened in March 2025, but intake is now closed while IRCC processes existing applications.
Live-in Caregiver Program
Closed to new applicants except limited legacy situations involving old work permits and LMIA applications from before December 2014.
Interim Pathway / Caring for Children / High Medical Needs
These older caregiver pathways are also closed and should not be presented as current options.
Current Home Care Worker Pilot Requirements
The criteria below describe the current pilot framework for applications already received. They are useful for understanding the program, but the pilots are not currently open to new applications.
Core Requirements
- Plan to live and work in Canada outside Quebec
- Meet the requirements of the applicable application stream
- Minimum CLB/NCLC 4 in all four language skills
- Canadian high school diploma or higher, or foreign equivalent supported by an ECA
- Relevant qualifying work experience or training
- Genuine qualifying full-time job offer
- Be admissible to Canada
Relevant Experience or Training
The current pilot framework requires either:
- 6 months of continuous, full-time and relevant work experience in the past 3 years, or
- a qualifying relevant training credential completed in the past 2 years
Occupation-specific requirements apply to Child Care and Home Support.
Occupations Connected to the Current Pilots
Child Care Pilot
- NOC 44100 – Home child care providers
- Relevant experience/training may also come from eligible work under NOC 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants, subject to IRCC's detailed rules
The actual job offer for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care must be for NOC 44100.
Home Support Pilot
- NOC 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
- Relevant experience/training may also come from NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
The actual job offer for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support must be for NOC 44101.
A job offer for ECE/ECEA (NOC 42202) or nurse aide/orderly (NOC 33102) is not itself an acceptable Home Care Worker Pilot job offer. Those occupations can be relevant to experience/training rules, but the qualifying job offer must be in NOC 44100 or 44101.
What Was Required for the Current Pilot Job Offer?
Job Requirements
- Job located in Canada, outside Quebec
- At least 30 hours of paid work per week
- Continuous, permanent employment with no set end date
- Child Care: NOC 44100
- Home Support: NOC 44101
- Work cannot be in an institutional setting such as a daycare or nursing home
Employer / Wage Requirements
- Job offer must be genuine
- Employer must be able to pay the offered wage
- Wage must meet or exceed the applicable Job Bank median wage
- Employer must comply with federal and provincial employment rules
- Business/non-profit employers must generally have provided the same type of care services for at least one year before making the offer
- Employer must have the required CRA business number
The current pilots do not make an applicant eligible for a bridging open work permit. Applicants already working for the employer must maintain valid temporary status through another available work-permit option.
Can a Caregiver Still Get a Temporary Work Permit?
Yes, but the rules are different from the closed permanent-residence pilots. A person may be able to work temporarily as a home child care provider (NOC 44100) or home support worker (NOC 44101) through an LMIA-based work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, if the current eligibility rules are met.
Potentially Eligible From Inside Canada
An applicant in Canada may be able to apply for a caregiver LMIA-based work permit if they have:
- a valid work permit, or
- a valid study permit, or
- authorization to work without a permit, excluding business visitors
The employer first needs a positive LMIA.
Important Restrictions
- A visitor in Canada generally cannot use this caregiver TFWP route outside Quebec
- An overseas applicant generally cannot apply for this LMIA-based caregiver work permit for a job outside Quebec
- The application cannot be made at a port of entry under this caregiver route
- A positive LMIA does not itself guarantee a work permit
For employers using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, caregiver positions must generally be full-time, at least 30 hours per week, and the employer must meet LMIA recruitment, wage, financial-ability and other TFWP requirements.
Information That Should Be Removed From the Old SIA Page
Do Not Show as Current
- “Home Child Care Provider Pilot is open”
- “Home Support Worker Pilot is open”
- Old annual cap of 2,750 under each 2019 pilot as current program information
- Old 24-month work-experience rule as the current caregiver PR rule
- Old lists suggesting foster parent jobs qualify under the current child-care job offer
- Old Live-in Caregiver / Interim Pathway as active immigration options
Use Current Wording Instead
- Current Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots exist but intake is closed
- Old 2019 caregiver pilots ended June 17, 2024
- New pilot framework uses CLB/NCLC 4
- High-school-equivalent education is the current minimum education level
- Current framework uses 6 months relevant experience or qualifying recent training
- Temporary LMIA-based caregiver work options are separate from caregiver PR pilots
If You Already Applied Under a Caregiver Pilot
IRCC continues processing applications received under the current Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots and applications submitted before the closure of the older Home Child Care Provider / Home Support Worker pilots.
Applicants with a pending file should follow the rules that apply to their specific pilot, category and application date. Do not assume that today's intake rules replace the rules under which an older application was submitted.
How Sia Immigration Can Help
Pending Caregiver Applications
Review an existing caregiver PR application, requests from IRCC, status issues and supporting documentation.
Temporary Caregiver Work Options
Assess whether an LMIA-based caregiver work permit or another current work-permit option may be available.
Alternative PR Pathways
If caregiver pilot intake is closed, review whether another current federal or provincial immigration pathway fits the worker's circumstances.
Caregiver Immigration FAQs
Are the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots open?
No. The Child Care and Home Support pilots are currently closed to new applications while IRCC processes existing inventory. IRCC's 2026 economic-immigration briefing states that new intake was closed for the remainder of the 2026–2030 pilot period.
Are the old Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots still open?
No. Those pilots ended on June 17, 2024. IRCC continues processing applications that were received on or before the closing date.
What language level applies to the newer Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots?
The current pilot framework requires at least CLB/NCLC 4 in all four language abilities.
What education is required under the newer pilots?
The current framework requires the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma or higher. Foreign education generally requires an Educational Credential Assessment.
How much caregiver work experience is required under the newer pilot framework?
The current framework uses either six months of continuous, full-time and relevant work experience in the past three years or a qualifying relevant training credential completed in the past two years.
Can an ECE Assistant job offer qualify for the Child Care pilot?
No. Although eligible NOC 42202 experience or training can be relevant under the pilot's experience/training rules, the qualifying Child Care pilot job offer itself must be for NOC 44100 – home child care provider.
Can a nurse aide job offer qualify for the Home Support pilot?
No. NOC 33102 experience or training can be relevant under the pilot framework, but the qualifying Home Support pilot job offer must be in NOC 44101.
Can I still get a temporary caregiver work permit?
Possibly. A separate LMIA-based caregiver work permit may be available under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in specific circumstances. The rules depend on whether the worker is in Canada or abroad, immigration status, work location and the employer's positive LMIA.
Can a visitor in Canada apply for an LMIA-based caregiver work permit?
For a caregiver job outside Quebec, a visitor generally cannot use the special in-Canada caregiver TFWP work-permit route. Different rules can apply for Quebec and for other occupations.
Does a positive LMIA guarantee a caregiver work permit?
No. A positive LMIA is an employer-side requirement for the applicable TFWP route. IRCC still assesses the worker's work-permit eligibility, qualifications and admissibility.
Check the Right Caregiver Option Before Applying
Caregiver immigration rules have changed significantly. The old 2019 caregiver pilots are closed, the newer permanent-residence pilots are not accepting new applications, and temporary caregiver work permits have separate LMIA and work-permit rules.
Sia Immigration Solutions can review your current status, caregiver experience, employer/job offer and immigration history to determine which current option may actually be available.
Important: Caregiver pilot intake, work-permit rules, LMIA requirements, occupation eligibility and immigration policies can change. A caregiver job offer, training credential, work experience or positive LMIA does not guarantee permanent residence or a work permit. Current official IRCC and ESDC requirements should be checked before taking immigration action.
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