Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Programs

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Programs – Eligibility Requirements

Below is a summary of the eligibility requirement of the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot (HCWIP) programs. There are two eligible streams for each pilot program:

• Workers in Canada
• Applicants not working in Canada

Job Offer

Required for both streams: Workers in Canada & Applicants not working in Canada.

You must have a job offer for a full-time (min. 30h/week), continuous and permanent home care job in Canada and outside Québec, that you are likely to accept and be able to perform its duties, and in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) of the pilot you apply for:

• HCWIP: Child Care
  • NOC 44100 – Home child care providers (foster parent is not eligible)
• HCWIP: Home Support
  • NOC 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations.

For both pilots, the job location can’t be an institutional setting such as a daycare or nursing home.

The job offer must include your hourly wage, employment requirements, a description of the main duties, and be genuine.

Your job offer can be from:

• a private household, or 
• a business (or non-profit organization) that has a direct employer-employee relationship (employer is directly responsible for hiring the employee, managing work conditions and paying the employee). This includes organizations that directly hire full-time workers to provide short-term or occasional home care for those who are semi-independent or recovering from an injury or illness, for example:

• • home health care service providers
  • home care support service providers
  • direct care agencies
  • personal care services in residential settings
  • pediatric home health care service providers

Eligible employers do not include recruitment or placement agencies, an embassy, a high commission or a consulate, or a person accredited to these missions in Canada, yourself (self-employed) or your spouse, common-law partner, parent, grandparent or child.

You can learn how to find your NOC code and its category here.

Work Experience / Training

Required for both streams: Workers in Canada & Applicants not working in Canada.

You need to have (i) 6 months of recent, relevant work experience inside or outside Canada OR (ii) have completed a credential of at least 6 months of related home care training inside or outside Canada.

(i) Work Experience

To be eligible, the work experience must:

• be in one or both of the National Occupational Classifications (NOCs) of the pilot you apply for,
  • HCWIP: Child Care
    • NOC 44100 – Home child care providers
      • Experience as a foster parent doesn’t count.
    • NOC 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants
      • Experience as an early childhood educator, day care teacher, or supervisor doesn’t count.
  • HCWIP: Home Support
    • NOC 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
    • NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
      • Work experience in NOC 33102 gained in an institutional setting (for example, long-term care) may be eligible.
• match the NOC job description and include most of the main duties listed under the NOC,
• have been gained since you were 18 years or older,
• have been gained within the 3 years before you apply,
• be continuous, meaning you must have worked at least 6 months in a row,
  • It may include a reasonable vacation period (for example, 2 weeks of paid leave within a 52-week period).
  • If you changed jobs, there must be no breaks between them.
• be full-time, meaning at least 30 hours of paid work per week,
  • If you worked multiple part-time jobs at the same time, it only counts if it adds up to at least 30 hours per week for 6 months in a row.
• authorized and while you had temporary resident status if your work experience was gained in Canada,
  • The work could have been authorized under a valid work permit, maintained status, or a public policy.
  • If your work experience was unauthorized, you may still be eligible for the pilots under a public policy. 
• not have been gained as a full-time student or while you were self-employed.

(ii) Training

To be eligible, the training must:

• be targeted towards the following National Occupational Classifications (NOCs),
  • HCWIP: Child Care
    • NOC 44100 – Home child care providers
    • NOC 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants
      • This does not include early childhood educators, day care teachers and supervisors.
  • HCWIP: Home Support
    • NOC 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
    • NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
• be at the post-secondary level,
• be full-time (min. 15 hours of training per week during the academic year or period of study),
• be offered mainly in an in-person classroom environment,
• have been started while you were 17 years or older,
• be completed within the 2 years before you apply,
• not have been on-the-job training.

If you completed this training outside Canada, you don’t need to obtain an educational credential assessment (ECA) for the training.

Education

Required for both streams: Workers in Canada & Applicants not working in Canada.

The minimum education requirement is a Canadian high school diploma (or higher), or the equivalent outside Canada.

If you studied outside Canada, you need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). You can learn more about how to request an ECA here.

Language proficiency

Required for both streams: Workers in Canada & Applicants not working in Canada.

The minimum language requirements for each of the four language ability, speaking, listening, reading and writing, is CLB4.

For more information on Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and which language tests you are allowed to take, check this page.

Canada Residence & Work Authorization

Required only for one stream: Workers in Canada.

To be eligible for the Workers in Canada stream, you must be:

• already living in Canada (usual residence), and
• authorized to work in Canada full-time, in any occupation (in a non-seasonal job).
  • You may still be eligible under a public policy if you’re currently living in Canada but no longer have work authorization.

Settlement Funds

Required only for one stream: Applicants not working in Canada.

To be eligible under the Applicants not working in Canada stream, you need to have enough money to support yourself and your family when you get to Canada. However, if you are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you do not need to show proof of funds.

The funds required depend on the number of family members (including any dependents that will not immigrate with you). The funds must be yours and must not be borrowed. Below is a table with the required funds, last updated by IRCC on June 3, 2024.