Home care worker immigration pilots

Overview

Home care worker immigration pilots

IRCC is not accepting new applications under the Home Care Worker Immigration (Child Care) or Home Support classes. Ministerial instructions effective March 31, 2026 focus processing on the existing inventory.

Both intake streams are closed

The Workers in Canada stream is closed, and the Applicants not working in Canada stream did not open as previously anticipated. IRCC says future updates will be published officially.

Do not pay for a claimed application place, portal account or employer package. No private person can reopen federal intake.

The 2025 pilots used defined eligibility

The pilots covered specified child-care and home-support NOCs. Applicants needed CLB or NCLC 4, at least Canadian high-school equivalency, a qualifying job offer, admissibility and either six months of recent continuous full-time relevant work or a recent relevant training credential.

The Workers in Canada stream also required residence and qualifying work authorization, subject to a narrow public policy for certain long-term residents without status.

Existing applications continue

IRCC can request proof that the job, experience or training and family facts met the stream on the relevant date. Keep employer communications and status documents, and report changes promptly.

The permanent residence file does not itself authorize continued work. Extend or change temporary status through the correct separate process.

A future reopening could use different rules

The current ministerial instructions may remain until March 30, 2030 unless repealed earlier, but that does not promise intake on a particular date.

If IRCC later opens a caregiver route, verify the new caps, eligible NOCs, stream, evidence and submission method before relying on older summaries.