Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots
IRCC has introduced new permanent resident pathways for home care workers
Canada's new permanent residence (PR) pathways for home care workers are set to launch on March 31, 2025.
These new pilot programs will award PR upon arrival, and are set to replace previous PR pathways for home care workers which have since expired.
This CanadaVisa page will outline key eligibility factors and conditions for these new pathways, and will be updated as Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) posts further updates.
Overview
On March 31, 2025, IRCC will launch two new immigration streams for home care workers, known collectively as the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP).
These are:
- The Workers in Canada stream; and
- The Applicants not working in Canada stream.
These programs were first announced in June of 2024, as a replacement to Canada's "Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Pilot"—and feature similar work experience and language test requirements, which are outlined below.
Out-of-status home care workers in Canada may also be eligible for the HCWP under a public policy. IRCC has announced that a limited number of spaces will be available to this cohort.
For more information on work options and permanent residence pathways for foreign health care workers, visit our webpage.
Eligibility
Eligibility for the HCWP is summarized in the table below:
| Eligibility criteria | Details |
| Work experience | Applicants must have:
No in-Canada work experience is required for these new streams. |
| Language proficiency | Applicants must have a CLB level 4 language proficiency in English or French |
| Job offer | Applicants must have a job offer from either:
Labour Market Impact Assesments (LMIAs) are not required in support of job offers.
|
| Education | Applicants must hold at least a secondary school diploma or equivalent. Applicants who attended high school outside of Canada will need to have their education assessed visa an Education Credential Assessment (ECA). |
In addition to the above, candidates must also have an intent to reside in a Canadian province or territory other than Quebec to be eligible for the HCWP.
Job offer conditions
If not employed by a private household, applicants must have a job offer from one of the following organizations:
- Home health care service providers;
- Home care support service providers;
- Direct care agencies;
- Personal care services in residential settings; or
- Pediatric home health care service providers.
Job offers from recruitment and placement agencies are not eligible.
Language proficiency requirements
Applicants to the HCWP must prove they meet language proficiency requirements in English or French according to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) respectively.
Applicants must take an IRCC-approved language test to demonstrate their proficiency, and score a minimum of a CLB level 4 in all four language abilities, to be eligible.
How can I apply to this new pilot?
The department advises that foreign home care workers and students in Canada may begin to pursue an official language test, and get their education assessed in anticipation of the March 31 opening.
IRCC has not released any details regarding the application process for eligible foreign nationals outside of Canada.
The department is expected to release further details on the application process for these new streams upon the opening of the HCWP.