IRCC announced that the new pilot program will specifically provide permanent residency opportunities for caregivers. These new pilot programs are collectively referred to by IRCC as the “Canada Caregiver Immigration Pilot Program” and will replace the previous permanent residency pathways for caregivers, which have now ended.
Eligibility for the New Pilot Program
According to the latest announcement by IRCC, foreign home care workers who meet the following criteria will be eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residency through the new pilot program:
- Language Requirements: Official language proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4.
- Educational Requirements: Equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma.
- Work Experience Requirements: Relevant work experience, which must be recent and directly related to caregiver work.
- Employment Requirements: A full-time employment offer for a caregiver position.
It is important to note that IRCC has not yet released further details regarding the specific requirements and application process for the new pilot program.
Background Information
As early as June 3, 2024, IRCC first announced the introduction of a new immigration pilot program for caregivers. At that time, the basic eligibility requirements were disclosed, but further details were not yet available. Later, on June 17, 2024, IRCC closed the previous “Home Child Care Provider Pilot” and “Home Support Worker Pilot” programs, which had previously provided immigration pathways for caregivers.
In the IRCC’s 2025-2027 immigration level plan, it is expected that 10,920 new immigration spots will be made available through the “Federal Economic Pilot” program, which will be allocated across several immigration pilot programs, including the new caregiver immigration pilot program. Although IRCC has not yet disclosed the specific quotas for this program, it can be anticipated that in 2025, these 10,920 immigration spots will be distributed among multiple pilot programs, covering not only caregivers but also agricultural, food, community, and economic mobility pilot programs.
With the official launch of the new caregiver immigration pilot program, the Canadian government is providing a new solution to meet the growing demand for care workers in the country, helping more foreign care workers achieve their dream of immigrating to Canada.
