Canada announces new pilot programs to support caregivers and Canadian families, intends to make the caregivers program permanent

Caregivers from abroad are invaluable to Canadian families. Their hard work makes a difference in the lives of those they care for, including children, seniors and persons with disabilities.

As the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot come to a close later this month, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today announced new, enhanced caregiver pilots. This will allow caregivers to continue to come to Canada, as we work 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

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.