Canada Ends Permanent Residence Pathway for Care Workers

The Government of Canada has listed child care workers and home support workers as the two categories of foreign workers who can no longer access permanent residence through the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirms that both the application and employer hiring portals are now closed.

These pilots were designed to facilitate skilled workers in these roles to move to Canada permanently, requiring them to secure full-time job offers in the home care sector. Applicants also needed to demonstrate relevant work experience or recognized training, meet language proficiency standards, and hold the appropriate qualifications.

The closure of these pilots means that child care workers and home support workers can no longer pursue permanent residence through this route, nor can employers recruit new hires through the scheme. This decision affects essential workers who provide hands-on care in homes, a sector that has historically faced challenges in filling positions locally.