Canada announces eligibility criteria for Home Care Worker PR pathways

Surya Rathee
[Published 03 Mar, 2025 | 04:38 AM]
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released new details about the upcoming Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP), which will offer more accessible pathways to apply for Canada PR. These pilots will include relaxed eligibility requirements, including reduced criteria for language proficiency, work experience, and education.

The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP) consists of two new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-exempt immigration streams designed for foreign home care workers. These workers will be able to secure employment and eventually obtain permanent residence in Canada. The pilots are scheduled to launch on March 31, 2025.

Initially, only candidates currently residing in Canada will be able to apply. Those outside the country will have the opportunity to apply at a later date.

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Streams for the new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots

Candidates can apply to the new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP) under one of two streams:

• The workers in Canada stream
• The applicants not working in Canada stream

Once the pilot starts in March, only workers in Canada stream will accept new applications. The applicants not working in Canada stream will open its application intake later in the year.

In anticipation of the HCWP’s opening date in March, IRCC advised potential candidates applying to the workers in Canada stream to take an approved language proficiency test and get their education assessed through an Education Credential Assessment (ECA). Whereas, details on application procedures for the applicants not working in Canada stream are yet to be released.

Who is eligible for the new HCWP?

IRCC has announced the following eligibility criteria for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots:

In addition to this, home care workers must also show intent to reside in a Canadian province (except Quebec) to be eligible for these new streams. Candidates who qualify based on work experience are allowed to gain this work experience either in Canada or abroad.

Job offer conditions

Foreign workers applying to the HCWP may hold a job offer from any of the following organizations:

• Home health care service providers
• Home care support service providers
• Direct care agencies
• Personal care services in residential settings
• Pediatric home health care service providers

Job offers from recruitment and placement agencies are not eligible. An LMIA is not required in support of job offers.

Eligibility for out-of-status workers and previous applicants

IRCC has expanded eligibility for the HCWP to include out-of-status home care workers currently in Canada. Thanks to a special public policy, these individuals may still qualify to apply under the program. However, only a limited number of spots are available for this group.

Additionally, certain applicants from the previous Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Pilots - both of which closed in June 2024 - may still be eligible under the old pathways. Those who applied under the “Gaining Experience Category” before June 2024 and have since gained the required work experience can submit proof to IRCC under previous guidelines to have their permanent residence (PR) application considered.

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Read More: Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027

Source: canada.ca