Canada Launches New Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Program with First-Year Quota Set at 2,750
On March 8, 2025, then-Canadian Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced at a press conference that Canada would launch a new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Program (HCWP) to provide immigration opportunities for individuals aspiring to work in home care in Canada. The program plans to approve permanent residence for 2,750 home care workers, with 150 spots reserved for care workers currently in Canada who have lost their status.
HCWP Program Categories:
- Workers in Canada Stream: For foreign home care workers currently residing in Canada.
- Applicants Not Working in Canada Stream: For foreign home care workers currently residing outside Canada.
The specific quota for the Applicants Not Working in Canada stream has not yet been announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The program is expected to officially launch on March 31, initially accepting applications only from the Workers in Canada stream. The application channel for overseas applicants is expected to open at a later date, with the specific time yet to be announced.
Miller emphasized that the HCWP is not only a short-term solution to fill labor gaps but could also become part of long-term immigration policy. He stated, "This pilot program will demonstrate to the nation that regularization mechanisms can effectively address both labor shortages and social inclusion challenges."
HCWP Program Application Eligibility Simplified, Emphasizing Practical Work Experience
Compared to other permanent residence pathways in Canada, the HCWP program has relatively relaxed eligibility requirements, including:
- Work Experience or Training:
- At least 6 months of recent work experience related to home care (either in Canada or abroad); or
- At least 6 months of education related to home care training.
- Educational Background:
- Possess an equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma (or higher)
- Language Proficiency:
- English proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4; or
- French proficiency at Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) level 4.
- Job Offer: Must have a full-time job offer from:
- A private household; or
- An agency that directly employs full-time home care workers to provide short-term or temporary care*.
- *Note: Agencies include but are not limited to:
- Home health care service providers;
- Home care support service providers;
- Direct care agencies;
- Personal care services in residential settings; or
- Pediatric home health care service providers.
- Job offers from recruitment and placement agencies do not qualify for the HCWP.
- Applying for the HCWP does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
More detailed eligibility requirements will be announced when the program officially launches on March 31.
Promoting Regularization for More Temporary Residents
The HCWP is seen as a crucial part of Canada’s strategy to promote "regularization," which allows temporary residents who have lost their status due to expired work or study permits to regain legal residence and eventually apply for permanent residence.
In recent years, Canada’s immigration policies have been pushing for the regularization of more temporary residents, particularly those providing essential services in key industries.
A notable example is the recently announced pathway for undocumented construction workers in Canada, which will allow up to 6,000 undocumented construction workers to regain legal status and apply for permanent residence. The construction industry has long been one where labor demand far exceeds the available workforce in Canada, highlighting the importance of these foreign workers, especially as Canada strives to address housing supply issues.
These regularization pathways align with IRCC’s goals in three key areas:
- They help the immigration department meet its immigration targets without adding new burdens to the population (which could exacerbate housing affordability and pressure);
- They allow temporary residents working in critical economic sectors to continue contributing to Canadian society;
- They help address structural labor deficits in key economic and social sectors in Canada, a problem that often requires immigration measures to resolve.
Canada Announces 2026 Study Permit Target: Total Allocation Reduced to 408,000, Down 7% from 2025
On November 25, the Government of Canada officially released its 2026 study permit allocation and distribution plan for international students. According to newly published data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total number of study permits to be issued in 2026 will be capped at 408,000. This continues the federal government’s trend of tightening temporary resident levels, representing a 7% decrease from the 2025 cap of 437,000 and a 16% decrease compared to 485,000 in 2024. The new plan outlines detailed allocation rules by student category, confirms exemptions from Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) for master’s and PhD students, and distributes PAL-required application volumes and anticipated approvals across provinces based on population share.
11/27/2025
Manitoba invites more in-Canada and overseas skilled workers to apply for provincial nomination
On November 21, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued 35 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to skilled workers both inside and outside Canada. This round of selections continued to prioritize candidates identified through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives (SRIs), including Employer Services, Francophone Community, Regional Communities, and the Temporary Public Policy. The program also reminded applicants to ensure all key information—such as language test numbers and invitation numbers—is correctly entered to avoid affecting their eligibility.
11/26/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Largest Provincial Nominee Draw of the Year, Focusing on In-Province Workers and International Graduates
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) recently conducted its largest immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations to apply for provincial nomination to nearly 200 candidates through the "Labour & Express Entry" category. This draw primarily targeted candidates already working in the province, while giving priority consideration to applicants with French language proficiency and international graduates from specific institutions. This move reflects the province's strategic intent to attract skilled talent capable of directly contributing to the local economy.
11/25/2025
British Columbia Expands Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations, Marking Largest Draw of 2025
On November 18, British Columbia held its largest entrepreneur immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations through both the Base and Regional streams of its Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Minimum scores and invitation numbers varied by stream, reflecting the province’s continued 2025 strategy of prioritizing candidates with high economic impact.
11/24/2025
Alberta Issues 1,125 Provincial Nominee Invitations in Mid-November, Maintaining High-Frequency Draws Across Key Streams
In mid-November 2025, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued a total of 1,125 provincial nominee invitations across two rounds, targeting candidates in the Healthcare Priority sector under Express Entry as well as the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The November 14 draw invited 80 healthcare candidates with a minimum score of 52, while the November 10 draw issued 1,045 invitations under the Opportunity Stream—a notably large round this year. With Alberta receiving over 1,500 additional nominations in September, bringing its 2025 total to 6,403, the province continues to strengthen efforts to retain local workers and attract healthcare professionals.
11/22/2025
Canada’s Conservatives Push for Major Amendments to Border and Immigration Bill C-12
On November 20, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, announced that the Conservative Party will introduce a wide-ranging package of amendments to the federal government’s border security and immigration legislation, Bill C-12. She argued that Canada’s immigration system is under intense pressure and must undergo structural reform as soon as possible. The proposed amendments will focus on modernizing asylum procedures, strengthening border enforcement and security screening, adjusting criminality and removal thresholds, and increasing transparency across federal immigration bodies. The initiative comes amid rising asylum numbers, sustained growth in temporary residents, mounting pressure on housing and social services, and heightened scrutiny of immigration-related security reports—highlighting how immigration has become a heated issue in Canada and globally.
11/21/2025
Alberta Announces Sweeping Changes to AAIP Rural Renewal Stream: Community Quotas and New Work Permit Rules to Take Effect in 2026
The Government of Alberta has officially announced significant updates to the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS) under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), marking one of the most substantial overhauls since the program's inception. Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, these changes are a response to a surge in community endorsements that have far exceeded the province’s federal nomination allocations. To realign the program with provincial economic priorities and manage labor market pressures, Alberta will implement four core changes: establishing annual endorsement allocation limits for designated communities, setting a one-year validity period for candidate endorsement letters, introducing a TEER-based occupation assessment model, and enforcing a mandatory requirement for all in-Canada applicants to hold a valid work permit at both the time of application and assessment.
11/20/2025
Ontario Suspends Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and Returns All Applications
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream effective November 14, 2025, following a major program review that identified systemic misrepresentation and potential fraud. As part of the suspension, all in-progress applications will be returned with full refunds. The province states that the program’s current structure must be redesigned to ensure limited nomination spots benefit genuine candidates addressing Ontario’s skilled trades shortages. Affected applicants may submit a new Expression of Interest under another OINP stream if eligible.
11/19/2025
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 330 ITAs in latest draw, marking the largest round since July
On November 12, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador issued a total of 330 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), marking the largest draw since July. With 220 invitations going to NLPNP candidates, the province continues to rely heavily on its provincial nomination channels. As the province reaches its 13th draw of the year and prepares for expanded federal PNP admission targets in 2026, nomination allocations may increase further.
11/18/2025
IRCC releases latest processing time update with notable shifts across key immigration categories
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its latest processing time update on November 12, 2025, covering citizenship applications, permanent resident (PR) cards, family sponsorship programs, economic immigration categories, study permits, and work permits. The update reflects real-world timelines for 80% of applications and is refreshed weekly or monthly depending on the category. The latest data shows significant increases in processing times for parents and grandparents under family sponsorship, while Express Entry streams remain stable. Business immigration and several Quebec programs continue to face multi-year backlogs. IRCC emphasizes that processing times are estimates only and can vary depending on an applicant’s location, background checks, case complexity, and IRCC’s operational capacity.
11/17/2025
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