Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots: What You Need to Know

Are you thinking about becoming a permanent resident (PR) of Canada as a home care worker? The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP) are designed to help foreign nationals work toward Canadian PR status in childcare or home support roles. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about eligibility, job requirements, settlement funds, and more.

Two Pilot Programs Under HCWP

There are two separate Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots:

1. HCWP: Child Care
2. HCWP: Home Support

Each pilot has two streams:

• Workers in Canada Stream: Accepting applications from March 31, 2025 (10 AM EDT) to March 30, 2026, or until the quota is filled.
• Applicants Not Working in Canada Stream: Details for this stream will be released later.

Key Eligibility Requirements

1. Status in Canada (For Workers in Canada Stream)

• You must be in Canada, holding valid work authorization (e.g., a valid work permit, maintained status, or legal work authorization through a public policy).
• Out-of-status workers may still qualify under special provisions if they meet specific criteria (see “Out-of-Status Workers” below).

2. Language Requirements

• Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in English or French.

3. Education

• At least a Canadian secondary school diploma (or foreign equivalent).

4. Work Experience or Professional Training

• Work Experience: Six months of continuous, full-time work in an eligible occupation within the last three years.
• For Child Care: NOC 44100 (home child care providers) or NOC 42202 (early childhood educators/assistants).
• For Home Support: NOC 44101 (home support workers, caregivers, related jobs) or NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies, patient service associates).
• OR
• Professional Training: A relevant educational credential of at least six months (completed in the last two years) that aligns with the pilot you’re applying for.

5. Settlement Funds (Applicants Not Working in Canada Stream)

• You must show proof of sufficient funds to support yourself and your family, based on family size.

Occupations Covered by the HCWP

HCWP: Child Care

• NOC 44100 (Home Child Care Providers): Includes babysitters, nannies, parent’s helpers (foster parent work isn’t eligible).
• NOC 42202 (Early Childhood Educators/Assistants): Although experience in an institutional setting (like a daycare) does not count here, this occupation still qualifies toward your six-month work requirement.

HCWP: Home Support

• NOC 44101 (Home Support Workers, Caregivers, and Related Jobs): Experience in institutional settings (long-term care) may be counted.
• NOC 33102 (Nurse Aides, Orderlies, and Patient Service Associates): While training/experience in this NOC qualifies for your six-month requirement, job offers in an institutional setting (e.g., nursing homes) do not qualify under the HCWP.

Professional Training Option

If you don’t have six months of eligible work experience, you can still apply if you’ve completed a post-secondary credential of at least six months. This credential must:

• Directly relate to the NOC for your chosen pilot (Child Care or Home Support).
• Involve at least 15 hours of in-person study per week.
• Have been finished within the last two years.
• Not involve mostly online or on-the-job training.

You also must have been at least 17 years old when you started this training.

Acceptable Job Offers

Job Offers Must:

1. Be for an eligible NOC and work setting (e.g., home-based setting).
2. Be in Canada, outside Quebec.
3. Offer full-time, continuous work (at least 30 hours/week).
4. Meet or exceed the provincial or territorial median wage for that occupation.

Genuine Job Offer

• The employer must show a real need for your services.
• The employer must be able to pay the offered wage and comply with all employment laws.
• For businesses or non-profits, they must have been providing care services for at least one year before making the job offer.

Who Can Issue a Job Offer?

• Private Households: Families directly hiring you.
• Businesses/Non-Profits: Must have an employer-employee relationship (they hire, manage your conditions, and pay you).

Who Cannot Issue a Job Offer?

• Recruitment or placement agencies.
• Embassies, high commissions, consulates, or accredited persons.
• Employers found non-compliant with regulations.
• Self-employed individuals.
• Your own relatives (spouse, parent, grandparent, child).

Applying as a Worker in Canada or Out-of-Status

Workers in Canada

• Must live in Canada with valid work authorization or maintained status.
• Must show proof you typically reside in Canada (even if you’re temporarily outside the country).

Out-of-Status Workers

• A portion of spots (140 per stream) is set aside under a public policy to help out-of-status workers.
• You can apply if you meet all eligibility rules and:
• Entered Canada on or before December 16, 2021, and have stayed continuously.
• Held a valid work permit after December 16, 2021.
• Are not inadmissible for other reasons (besides overstaying or unauthorized work/study).
• Are not subject to a removal order or in Canada on a study permit.
• Haven’t made a refugee claim.

Settlement Funds (Applicants Not Working in Canada)

If you’re not currently working in Canada, you must prove you have enough funds for yourself and your family. These amounts vary by family size, starting at $14,690 CAD for one person and increasing for each additional family member.

You must include your spouse or common-law partner and all dependent children—even if they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and even if they’re not coming to Canada with you.

Application Fees

When applying to any HCWP pilot or stream, you’ll typically need to pay:

• Processing Fee: $1,525 CAD
• Right of Permanent Residence Fee: $575 CAD (paid before the application is approved)
• Biometrics Fee: $85 CAD per person (or up to $170 CAD for a family)
• Other Possible Fees: Medical exams, police certificates, Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs), and language tests.

Under Canadian immigration law, employers cannot charge you any recruitment fees.

Final Thoughts

The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots give foreign nationals a clear path toward Canadian permanent residence, whether they have work experience in childcare or home support. Keep in mind that eligibility rules, fees, and quotas may change, so it’s essential to stay updated. Check official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announcements for the latest details.