On June 18, 2019, Canada introduced two new programs, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot as 5-year pilot programs that will let qualified caregivers and their family members come to Canada with the goal of becoming permanent residents.

If you’ve been offered a job in Canada as a caregiver or have experience working in Canada as a caregiver, you may be able to apply for permanent residence through one of these pilots.

The application process will be different depending on your situation and how much qualifying work experience you have.

Qualifying work experience

Qualifying work experience means you’ve worked full-time in Canada in 1 of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) jobs:

• home child care provider – NOC 4411
  
  • experience as a foster parent doesn’t count

or

• home support worker – NOC 4412
  
  • experience as a housekeeper doesn’t count 

Permanent residence for caregivers

Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

As of June 18, 2019, you may be able to apply for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot if you:

• meet the eligibility requirements, and
• have a job offer to work in one of these occupations

Through these pilots, you’ll get an open work permit to come to Canada and work temporarily. 

This work permit:

• is occupation-restricted (so you have to work in that specific occupation)
• doesn’t need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• lets you get the work experience you need to be eligible for permanent residence

If you recently worked as a home child care provider or support worker, your experience may count towards your eligibility for permanent residence.