Canada Home Child Care Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

  • Country of destination: Canada
  • Country of origin: Any
  • Sectors: Healthcare
  • Skill level: Mid-level
  • Timeline: 2019 - 2024
  • Number of beneficiaries: capped at 2,750 per year

Overview

The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot are pilot programs that allow a foreign caregiver who has a job offer or Canadian work experience in an eligible caregiver occupation and meets minimum education and language proficiency requirements to work in Canada.

Why was it started?

The pilots replaced the live-in caregiver program, which ended in 2014, and another set of pilot programs that ran between 2014 and 2019.

How does it work?

To be eligible to apply for either pilot, a foreign national must have the ability to become economically established in Canada, intend to reside outside the province of Quebec, meet the minimum language proficiency threshold set for that occupation in English or French (CLB 5), and meet the minimum education requirement (Canadian one-year post-secondary or higher). Applicants under the Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker pilots can apply for the schemes through two categories: Category A and Category B.

Category A, or the “gaining experience category” is for applicants with less than 24 months of eligible Canadian work experience. Category A applicants must: meet the minimum language requirements, meet the minimum education requirements, have a valid job offer they are likely to accept, be able to perform the work, and be admissible to Canada. If the applicant’s application is accepted under Category A, they are issued an occupation-restricted open work permit (OROWP) and their application for permanent residence is put on hold. Once issued the OROWP, the applicant must then obtain and submit proof of 24 months of eligible, full-time Canadian work experience within 3 years. Once the proof is received, the application for permanent residence is processed.

Category B, or the “direct to permanent residence category” is for applicants whom already have satisfied the requirement of having 24 months or more of eligible Canadian work experience. To apply under Category B, an applicant must: meet the minimum language requirement, meet the minimum of education requirements, meet the Canadian work experience requirement, and be admissible to Canada. Once the application is accepted and processed, an individual is granted permanent residence.

For each pilot, there are two numerical caps: an intake cap and a processing cap. The intake cap limits each pilot to accept a maximum of 2,750 applications per calendar year, including incomplete applications and the pilot categories accept different numbers of applications. The processing cap states that a maximum of 2,750 applications will be put into process per calendar year in each pilot. The applications must be considered complete to be processed.

The Home Child Care Pilot is open to applicants with the following job titles: babysitter; au pair; child care live-in caregiver; child care provider -private home; nanny; parent’s helper; foster parent; babysitter – fitness center; and babysitter – shopping center.

The Home Support Worker Pilot is open to applicants with the following job titles: attendant for persons with disabilities – home care; family caregiver; home support worker; housekeeper; live-in caregiver – seniors; personal aide – home support; personal care attendant – home care; respite worker – home support; doula; and home visitor – infant care.

The cost of the work permit is CAD $1,380. The pilots do not match candidates with jobs. Employers may approach candidates or vice versa.

What impact has it had?

No impact data are available.