The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots −which came into effect on 18 June 2019 and set to close on 18 June 2024 −provide in-home caregivers who are outside or inside Canada with the opportunity to become  permanent residents once they have acquired 2 years of eligible work experience in Canada. To successfully apply, a candidate must have been offered employment in Canada as a caregiver or have experience working in Canada as a caregiver.

 

To commence the process, an employer must find−or may be approached by−an eligible candidate and provide them with an offer of employment. This candidate must be able to demonstrate to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that they are able to perform the duties carried out by home childcare providers (NOC 4411) or home support workers (NOC 4412); experience as a foster parent or housekeeper does not count. 

 

There are two categories of people eligible to apply under these pilots: persons who already have 24 months of qualifying work experience as a caregiver, and those with only 0-23 months of same:

 

If an applicant has already completed 24 months of qualifying work experience in Canada in NOC 4411 or NOC 4412, they may submit an application for permanent residence under the respective pilot. They must demonstrate to IRCC that the experience was gained within 36 months of applying for permanent residence. Once IRCC confirms receipt of the application, the applicant may then apply for a bridging open work permit which allows them to work in Canada while awaiting a decision on their permanent resident application.

 

Where an applicant has only completed 0-23 months of work experience, they must submit an occupation-restricted open work permit simultaneously with the application for permanent residence. If the applicant receives a positive eligibility assessment, a 3-year occupation-restricted open work permit will be issued under NOC 4411 or NOC 4412 allowing the caregiver to acquire the 24 months of qualifying Canadian work experience within 3 years. The applicant’s spouse or dependent may simultaneously apply for an open work permit which is usually valid for 3 years as well.

 

If the applicant receives a negative assessment, the work permit will be rejected, and fees refunded. If the application is approved, the applicant and dependents, if any, will be provided with instructions on how to confirm permanent resident status. If an employer wants to hire a caregiver who resides outside of Canada, this must be done posthaste as it may take up to 12 months for the work permit to be processed.