Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots in Canada
Canada’s Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots are targeted programs designed to address the growing need for caregivers in the country, particularly for seniors and individuals with medical needs. These pilot programs offer eligible foreign nationals a pathway to permanent residence while allowing them to work temporarily in Canada as home support workers or childcare providers.
There are two main pilot streams under this initiative:
- Home Child Care Provider Pilot
This stream is for individuals who wish to work in Canada as nannies or child care providers in a home setting.
- Occupation Code: NOC 44100 (Home Child Care Provider)
- Typical Duties: Caring for children, preparing meals, assisting with homework, and ensuring a safe environment at home.
- Home Support Worker Pilot
This stream targets those providing care to seniors, persons with disabilities, or individuals recovering from illness.
- Occupation Code: NOC 44101 (Home Support Worker)
- Typical Duties: Assisting with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, feeding, and administering medications.
Each pilot has 2 application streams:
- Workers in Canada
- Applicants not working in Canada
Program Requirements
To be eligible for either stream of the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, applicants must:
- Plan to live and work in Canada, outside the province of Quebec
- Meet the eligibility criteria specific to their selected stream (Child Care or Home Support)
- Fulfill the language and education requirements
- Have relevant work experience or recent training
- Obtain a valid job offer in the eligible occupation
- Be admissible to Canada (no serious criminal or medical issues)
Workers in Canada Stream
To qualify, you must:
- Already reside in Canada
- Be authorized to work full-time (non-seasonal job) through:
- A valid work permit
- Maintained status
- Eligibility under a public policy
- If outside of Canada temporarily (e.g., vacation), you must prove Canada is your normal residence
You are not eligible if:
- You currently live in Canada but no longer have valid work authorization
Applicants Not Working in Canada
Opening at a later date
To qualify, you must:
- Be outside Canada or ineligible under the Workers in Canada stream
- Provide proof of settlement funds for yourself and any accompanying family members
(Exact amounts depend on family size and are updated annually by IRCC)
Language Requirements
Applicants must take an approved language test and meet minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in all four areas:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
Accepted tests include:
- English: IELTS, CELPIP
- French: TEF, TCF
- French levels are measured using NCLC (Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien)
Education Requirements
You must have:
- At least a Canadian high school diploma, or
- An equivalent foreign credential assessed through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a recognized organization
Work Experience or Training Requirements
Depending on your chosen stream, you must either have recent work experience or a relevant training credential:
- Child Care Stream
Eligible occupations:
- Home child care providers (NOC 44100)
- Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202)
(Experience as an early childhood educator, day care teacher, or supervisor doesn’t count.)
- Home Support Stream
Eligible occupations:
- Home support workers, caregivers, and related roles (NOC 44101)
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 33102)
(Work experience in NOC 33102 gained in an institutional setting (for example, long-term care) may be eligible.
You must have:
- 6 months of continuous, full-time work experience in a relevant occupation within the past 3 years, OR
- Completed a relevant training credential in the past 2 years
Job Offer Requirements
To qualify, you must receive a genuine job offer as either:
- A Home Child Care Provider (NOC 44100) — not in a daycare or institutional setting
- A Home Support Worker (NOC 44101) — not in a nursing home or similar institution
The job must be:
- Located in Canada, outside Quebec
- Full-time (minimum 30 hours/week)
- Permanent (no fixed end date)
- Consistent with the duties of the selected NOC
The offer must include:
- Hourly wage
- Employment requirements
- Detailed description of duties
- Be from a legitimate and financially stable employer
The wage must meet or exceed the median wage for the occupation in the relevant province/territory (or national median if not available).
Employer Requirements
Employers must:
- If employer is a business than in business, they must have been providing the same type of care services as the job for at least 1 year before the job offer was made
- Have a valid Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number
- Be either:
- A private household
- A business or non-profit organization with a direct employer-employee relationship
Examples of eligible employers:
- Home care support providers
- Pediatric home health care agencies
- Personal care agencies for semi-independent patients
Home Child Care Provider Pilot- Requirements
To qualify for the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots (HCWIP), you must:
Plan to live and work in Canada, outside Quebec
Ineligible Employers
The following cannot serve as your employer for HCWIP:
- Recruitment or placement agencies
- Embassies, consulates, or diplomats
- Non-compliant employers (as determined by IRCC)
- Yourself (self-employment not permitted)
- Close family (spouse, parent, child, grandparent)