Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Hits Application Cap Within Hours of Opening

The demand for permanent residency under Canada’s Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support stream has once again proven to be overwhelming.

The program, which opened its doors to online applications under the Workers in Canada Stream on the morning of March 31, hit its intake cap of 2,750 applications by 2:25 PM EDT—the very same day it launched.

Of the total, 150 spots were reserved specifically for out-of-status workers, offering a vital opportunity for those already contributing to Canadian households without regularized immigration status.

As of now, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is still accepting applications in alternate formats (such as paper, braille, and large print), but those are only intended for applicants who are unable to apply online due to accessibility needs.

The pilot, which is part of a five-year federal immigration initiative, is now closed for the year and is expected to reopen in 2026. No date has been confirmed for when the Applicants Not Working in Canada stream under the Home Support category will open.

In a similar rush, the Home Care Worker: Child Care stream also reached its cap for online applications later that same afternoon.