How to Apply for Caregiver Programs in Canada: Streams and Eligibility

To apply for caregiver programs in Canada, you submit an application to one of the two Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot streams — Child Care or Home Support — with a qualifying full-time job offer outside Quebec, proof of language ability at Canadian Language Benchmark Level 4, education equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma, and either six months of relevant work experience or a training credential of at least six months. Application intake is paused right now, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed it will not reopen in March 2026.1Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Pausing Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots Application Intake Use the pause to line up your job offer, tests, and documents so you can file quickly when the door opens again.

Where Intake Stands Now

The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots launched on March 31, 2025, replacing the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot, both of which closed on June 17, 2024.2Government of Canada. Closed – Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot The new pilots are a one-step route: approved applicants receive permanent residence on arrival rather than working in Canada on a temporary permit first.

IRCC paused intake to work through the applications already in the queue, and no new reopening date has been announced.1Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Pausing Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots Application Intake Watch the IRCC website for updates.

The Two Streams and the Annual Cap

The pilots are split into two streams, each capped at 2,750 applications per year, for a combined 5,500.3Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Is There a Limit on the Number of Caregiver Applications You Accept Pick the one that matches the work you’ll actually do:

  • Child Care (NOC 44100), for providing childcare in a private home. Daycare center work and foster parenting do not qualify.
  • Home Support (NOC 44101), for caring for someone who needs help with daily living in a private home. Housekeeping-only positions and institutional care settings do not qualify.

If your application is incomplete or arrives after the cap has been reached, IRCC returns it along with your processing fees.3Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Is There a Limit on the Number of Caregiver Applications You Accept Spaces have filled quickly in the past, so being ready before intake opens matters.

Who Qualifies

You must plan to live and work in Canada outside Quebec, and you must be admissible to Canada, meaning you pass health, criminal, and security checks.4Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots – Who Can Apply Quebec runs its own immigration programs, so a job offer inside Quebec is not covered by these pilots.

Language

You need at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, in either English or French.4Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots – Who Can Apply Accepted English tests are IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, and PTE Core. Accepted French tests are TEF Canada and TCF Canada.5Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Take a Language Test Book early. Test centers fill up and results can take weeks.

Education

You need the equivalent of at least a Canadian high school diploma.4Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots – Who Can Apply If you studied outside Canada, order an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from one of the five designated organizations, such as World Education Services, the Comparative Education Service at the University of Toronto, or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada.6Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Educational Credential Assessment Processing can take several weeks to a few months, so start it early.

Work Experience or Training

You can qualify through either work experience or a training credential. For the Child Care stream, qualifying occupations are home child care providers (NOC 44100) and early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202). For Home Support, they are home support workers and caregivers (NOC 44101) and nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 33102).4Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots – Who Can Apply

If you rely on work experience, you need at least six consecutive months of full-time work (at least 30 paid hours per week) gained in the three years before you apply. Experience from inside or outside Canada counts. If you rely on training instead, you need a credential from a relevant program of at least six months completed within the past two years.7Government of Canada. Work Experience or Training

The Job Offer

A qualifying job offer is the centerpiece of the application. The position must be full-time (at least 30 paid hours per week), permanent with no set end date, and located outside Quebec.8Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Get a Job Offer No Labour Market Impact Assessment is required, which saves both time and money compared with many other immigration routes.

IRCC checks that the offer is genuine. The employer has to show a real need for the position, the ability to pay your wages, and compliance with federal and provincial employment laws. Your hourly wage must meet or exceed the Job Bank median wage for the occupation in the province or territory where you’ll work.8Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Get a Job Offer If the employer is a business or non-profit rather than a private household, that organization must have been providing the same type of care services for at least one year before the offer was made.

Some employers are off the table. Recruitment and placement agencies cannot sponsor you. Neither can embassies, consulates, or diplomatic staff. You cannot be self-employed, and your spouse, parent, grandparent, or child cannot be your employer.8Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Get a Job Offer The employer must have a Canada Revenue Agency business number or be a private household directly responsible for hiring, managing, and paying you.

Both you and the employer must complete and sign the Offer of Employment form (IMM 5983). The employer fills it out first and sends you a copy to include with your application.9Government of Canada. Offer of Employment – Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker IRCC uses this form to verify that the offer is real and that the employer can pay your salary.10Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Do I Need to Provide Proof That I Can Pay the Salary of the Caregiver

Fees to Budget For

Plan for the following government fees:

The baseline for a single applicant is roughly $1,610 to $1,635 in government fees, depending on when you apply relative to the April 2026 increase. Your language test, ECA report, medical exam, and police certificates cost extra and can add several hundred dollars.

Family Members You Can Include

You can include your spouse or common-law partner and your dependent children. They receive permanent residence with you.4Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots – Who Can Apply Accompanying family members can still be included if they have overstayed their temporary status in Canada or worked or studied without authorization.

A dependent child must be under 22 and have no spouse or partner. Children 22 or older qualify only if they have depended on their parents financially since before turning 22 and cannot support themselves because of a physical or mental condition.14Government of Canada. Who You Can Include as a Dependent Child on an Immigration Application Your child’s age is locked in on the date IRCC receives your complete application, so processing delays won’t push them past the cutoff.

Submitting the Application

When intake reopens, you’ll file through the IRCC online portal. Upload the completed forms and your supporting documents: language test results, ECA report, the signed IMM 5983 job offer form, passports for you and any family members, and police certificates from every country where you’ve lived for six months or more since age 18.

After IRCC receives your application and fees, you’ll get a confirmation with an application number. Two things happen next. If you’re between 14 and 79, IRCC will email instructions for providing biometrics (fingerprints and a photo), and you have 30 days from the date on the letter to attend an in-person appointment.15Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots – After You Apply You and all accompanying family members must also complete a medical exam with an IRCC-approved panel physician. Your own doctor cannot perform this exam.16Government of Canada. Medical Examination for Permanent Residence Applicants

What Approval Delivers

Approved applicants receive permanent residence when they arrive in Canada. You and your family members land as permanent residents from day one, without a temporary work permit phase first.

Permanent residence comes with an ongoing rule: you must physically be in Canada for at least 730 days during every five-year period to keep your status.17Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. How Long Must I Stay in Canada to Keep My Permanent Resident Status The 730 days do not need to be consecutive, and some time abroad may count. Falling short puts your status at risk when you renew your PR card or re-enter Canada.

You’ll also be eligible for your province’s public health insurance, but coverage doesn’t always start immediately. Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island have no waiting period. British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the territories require you to wait about three months. Carry private health insurance to bridge any gap; a single emergency room visit without coverage can run into the thousands.