Canada to launch home care worker pilot soon: Know eligibility criteria

Canada will introduce two Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP) on March 31, 2025, offering permanent residence for home care workers, including Indian nationals already in the country. The new system removes the requirement for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and lowers eligibility criteria, including language proficiency, education, and work experience requirements, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said on Friday.

 

Who can apply?  

 

< Initially, only workers already in Canada can apply.  

< A separate stream for applicants outside Canada will open at a later date.  

 

IRCC has advised potential applicants to take a language test and obtain an Education Credential Assessment (ECA) to prepare for the application process.  

 

 

One-step permanent residence process  

 

The new pilots will allow home care workers to apply for permanent residence immediately, without needing prior Canadian work experience. This is a shift from previous requirements, where workers had to gain experience in Canada before applying.  

 

Lower eligibility requirements  

 

Language: Applicants will need only a level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC).  

Education: A high school diploma or equivalent is sufficient.  

Work experience: No prior Canadian experience is required. Applicants must have either six months of recent, relevant work experience or have completed at least six months of related training.  

 

Work flexibility and job offers  

 

Home care workers must have a full-time job offer in Canada, excluding Quebec. They will be able to work in various settings, including:  

 

Private households  

Home health care service providers  

Personal care services in residential settings  

Direct care agencies  

Organisations hiring full-time workers for short-term or occasional home care  

 

Recruitment or placement agencies will not be included in the programme.  

 

Canada’s home care needs  

 

The new pilots aim to support the growing demand for home care in Canada while recognising the role of workers providing these essential services. The government has not yet announced when applications will open for international applicants but has confirmed that a second stream will be introduced later.

 

“The only reason this program is opening is because care workers fought for it for decades,” Jhoey Dulaca, a former care worker and organizer with Migrant Workers Alliance for Change in a blog post. “But after so many years of waiting, workers can’t afford another failed program. There must be no cap on applications so that every care worker in Canada can apply and the program details must be immediately released. Anything less will push thousands into crisis.”