TORONTO: Canada has announced new pilot programs for caregivers that will provide home care workers with permanent residence (PR) on arrival in Canada. The current program requires caregivers to have a certain amount of work experience in Canada before applying for permanent residence.
The new pilot programs will replace the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program and the Home Support Worker Pilot Program, which are closing on June 19, 2024.
Under the new pilot, caregivers will also be allowed to work for organizations that provide temporary or part-time care for people who are semi-independent or recovering from an injury or illness. This new pathway means that caregivers can more easily find proper work with reliable employers and have clear, straightforward access to permanent resident status as soon as they arrive in Canada.
As part of the 2024–2026 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will admit over 15,000 caregivers as permanent residents.
Through these new pilot programs, candidates interested in working in Canada’s home care sector will be eligible to apply if they meet the following criteria:
- attain a minimum of level 4 based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB)
- hold the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma
- have recent and relevant work experience
- receive an offer for a full-time home care job
“These new PR on arrival pilot programs mark an important step forward in Canada’s efforts to meet the evolving home care needs of its diverse population. More information will be available before the full launch of the pilots, including full eligibility criteria and details on how to apply. Caregivers play a critical role in supporting Canadian families, and our programs need to reflect their invaluable contributions. As we work to implement a permanent caregivers program, these two new pilots will not only improve support for caregivers, but also provide families with the quality care they deserve,” said Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
“After hearing stories and feedback from caregivers across Canada, I am proud that we are taking concrete action to create policies to support the caregiver community. Generations of women and men have advocated for this important pathway and have cared for our families and loved ones here in Canada. Now is the time to return the care they deserve,” said Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business.
Migrant Care Workers across Canada welcome changes to the caregiver program. “Education requirements will be lowered from Canadian equivalency of 1 year post-secondary education in current pilots to high school equivalency. This is critical as thousands of care workers have been left in limbo due to these barriers under the old program. But many care workers are still left out.
