Canada Announces Launch Date for New Permanent Residence Pathways for Home Care Workers

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed that the new “Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots” will officially launch on March 31, 2025. These pilots will serve as replacement pathways for the expired caregiver permanent residence (PR) programs.

Under these new programs, eligible home care workers can gain permanent residency upon arrival in Canada, streamlining their path to joining the Canadian workforce.

Eligibility Criteria

Foreign nationals applying for the new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots must meet the following requirements:

• A Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in official language proficiency;
• An education level equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma;
• Relevant and recent work experience; and
• A full-time job offer for a home care position.

As of June 16, 2024, the work experience requirement for previous caregiver programs was reduced to six months, a trend that may carry over to the new pathways. IRCC has yet to provide full details about these pilots.