AS the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot come to a close later this month, Marc Miller, federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on Monday announced new, enhanced caregiver pilots. This will allow caregivers to continue to come to Canada, as the government works toward making the caregiver pilot programs permanent.
The new pilot programs will provide home care workers with permanent residence (PR) on arrival in Canada. They will also be allowed to work for organizations that provide temporary or parttime 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.
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
The government said that 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.
Miller said: “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.”
Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business, said: “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.”
Quick Facts:
- In June 2014, there was an inventory of over 60,000 persons for the Live-in Caregiver Program. Today, less than 1% of that Live-in Caregiver Program inventory remains.
- As part of the 2024–2026 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will admit over 15,000 caregivers as permanent residents.
- As of April 30, 2024, nearly 5,700 caregivers and their family members have become permanent residents since the launch of the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot in 2019.
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