Beginning on January 1, Canada will begin accepting applications for two new programs that will provide caregivers with the opportunity to become permanent residents. In this case, the programs are known as the Home Childcare Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in working as caregivers and eventually permanent residents of Canada.
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Those who have worked as caregivers may benefit from these two special programs. The program began in 2019 and will be completed on June 17, 2024. Since they were introduced, these programs have become very popular. In 2022, almost 1,100 caregivers and their families became permanent residents as a result of these programs.
The IRCC encourages interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible. The 2023 cap for online applicants in the Home Child Care Provider Pilot (1,000) was reached on April 14, 2023, although according to the website, there are still open spaces for the Home Support Worker Pilot in 2023.
2023: Work experience requirement halved!
In February 2023, caregivers seeking immigration to Canada will no longer be required to possess two years of full-time work experience. It is likely that this change will affect the majority of people who apply to the caregiver immigration program. This is designed to assist foreign workers in coming to Canada to care for children, older people, and persons with disabilities.
For a particular opportunity, the applicant must have worked at least 30 hours per week for three years before submitting their application. Further, work experience must have been obtained within three years of applying. A student cannot use work experience gained while studying when applying for a position.
Other work experience requirements for candidates include work experience under National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 4411 or 4412. IRCC notes that work experience must be in one of these jobs and cannot be a mix of both jobs.
For consideration for specific jobs in Canada, candidates must have experience in two specific job categories: NOC codes 4411 and 4412. Work experience must be in one of these occupations only and cannot be a combination of both.
The candidate’s job description must match the NOC job description, and most of the main responsibilities must be completed by the candidate.
There were no changes to other requirements for candidates in 2023. As an example, they must be able to demonstrate.
- A Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 is shown in the language test results;
- You must have one year of Canadian postsecondary education or its equivalent in a foreign country;
- A successful admissions check (health, criminality, and security) is required.
Residents with temporary caregivers
If you work as a caregiver in Canada, you might not be eligible to become a permanent resident through specific programs. However, you can still apply to extend your work permit through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which allows you to continue working in Canada for longer.
Employers must demonstrate to the government that they can only find a Canadian or permanent resident with the necessary skills for the job after they hire someone. This can be achieved by completing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application. As part of the LMIA, the employer must submit it to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to demonstrate that the employer has made every effort to find a suitable candidate in the country.
If a Canadian company needs to hire someone from another country, they can use the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). However, the government must ensure these hirings help the economy. Basically, if everything looks alright, they can recruit a foreign worker. However, these workers can only work for the company that hired them – they can’t work for anyone else. This is because their work permits are closed, and it’s illegal for them to be employed by anyone else.
