Eligibility Details for PR Under Home Care Worker Pilots
Foreign nationals who want to move to Canada as home care workers can now find all necessary information about these programs. Today we will discuss the eligibility details for PR under Home Care Worker Pilots.
So, without further ado, let us begin!
Well, the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot (HCWP) has been officially split into two pilot programs:
- The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care
- The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support
Each of these programs includes two streams:
- Workers in Canada Stream
- Applicants not working in Canada Stream
The Workers in Canada stream for both pilots will accept applications from 10 AM EDT on March 31, 2025, to March 30, 2026, or until the application limit is reached.
Details for the Applicants not working in Canada stream will be provided later.
Summary Of Eligibility Requirements
The table below outlines the eligibility criteria for the HCWP programs:
| Eligibility Requirement | HCWP Child Care | HCWP Home Support |
| Status in Canada (if applying under the Applicants in Canada stream) | Must be in Canada with valid work authorization (exceptions apply for some with expired status). | |
| Language Requirements | CLB 4 | |
| Education | Secondary school diploma or equivalent | |
| Work Experience | Six months as: – Home child care provider; and/or – Early childhood educator/assistant. | Six months as: – Home support worker/caregiver; and/or – Nurse aide/orderly/patient service associate. |
| Professional Training Requirements (for those without eligible work experience) | Must have completed a relevant six-month (or longer) credential. | |
| Settlement Funds (for applicants under the Applicants not working in Canada stream) | Must demonstrate sufficient funds based on family size. | |
Which Occupations Qualify For The HCWP?
The first thing to know under the eligibility details for PR under Home Care Worker Pilots are the professions that qualify for the program.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has identified specific roles that qualify under the HCWP. These are divided into two categories, each linked to a separate pilot program: Child Care and Home Support.
To be eligible, applicants must have six months of continuous, full-time, relevant work experience in the past three years or must have completed a six-month-long relevant educational credential. Work experience must be in one or both of the National Occupational Classifications (NOCs) related to the pilot being applied for.
HCWP: Child Care
The eligible occupations for the Child Care pilot include:
- Home Child Care Providers (NOC 44100): Individuals providing childcare services in private homes, such as nannies, babysitters, and parent’s helpers. Experience as a foster parent does not count.
- Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (NOC 42202): Work as a daycare teacher or supervisor does not qualify.
HCWP: Home Support
Eligible occupations for the Home Support pilot include:
- Home Support Workers, Caregivers, and Related Occupations (NOC 44101)
- Nurse Aides, Orderlies, and Patient Service Associates (NOC 33102): Experience in long-term care facilities may count.
Work experience cannot be:
- Gained while studying full-time
- Obtained through self-employment
Note that Canada uses the National Occupation Classification system to categorize and describe different occupations, depending on their industry, roles, as well as responsibilities. The nation similarly uses the CIP, i.e., Classification of Instructional Programs to perform this same function for educational programs.
Professional Training Requirements For The HCWP
Applicants without relevant work experience can qualify through professional training.
Instead of work experience, they may present a relevant post-secondary credential of at least six months completed within the last two years, either in Canada or abroad.
Eligible educational credentials must:
- Be related to an eligible NOC for the HCWP
- Be post-secondary level
- Be from a full-time program (minimum of 15 hours per week)
- Have been completed primarily in person
- Have been completed no more than two years before applying
Applicants must have been at least 17 years old when they began their education.
Education credentials under each program should align with the following NOCs. They are listed below:
| HCWP Child Care | HCWP Home Support |
| – Home child care providers (NOC 44100) – Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202) Exclusions: Early childhood educators, daycare teachers, and supervisors. | – Home support workers, caregivers (NOC 44101) – Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 33102) |
Applicants cannot use an educational credential from the Home Support pilot to apply for the Child Care pilot or vice versa.
Ineligible Education Credentials
An education credential is ineligible for the HCWP programs if:
- Training in the program was targeted towards professions other than the ones listed in the table above
- Training was completed primarily online
- Training was completed as part of on-the-job training
Job Offer Requirements
Another thing to know under the eligibility details for PR under Home Care Worker Pilots is job offer requirements.
Well, a valid job offer must:
- Be for an eligible NOC and work setting
- Be full-time (30+ hours per week) with no fixed end date
- Be outside Quebec
The offer should specify the wages, employment conditions, and job responsibilities. IRCC will assess applicants’ qualifications to determine if they can perform the job.
Eligible NOC And Work Settings
Job offers must be in one of the NOCs and in an eligible place of work.
| HCWP Child Care | HCWP Home Support |
| – Home child care providers (NOC 44100) Exclusions: – Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (NOC 42202) – Foster parenting and roles in daycare centers. | – Home support workers, caregivers (NOC 44101) – Exclusions: Roles in nursing homes and institutional settings. |
What is a “genuine” job offer?
A job offer is considered valid if:
- The employer has a legitimate need for a caregiver
- The employer can meet job conditions, including wages
- The employer complies with immigration and labor laws
- Wages match or exceed the provincial median wage for the role
Which Employers Are Eligible To Issue Job Offers Under The HCWP?
Employers must have a Canada Revenue Agency business number. Accepted employers include:
- Private households hiring workers directly.
- Businesses and non-profits with direct employer-employee relationships.
These organizations might also include those that hire full-time workers to provide short-term or occasional home care for individuals who are semi-independent or recovering from injury or illness.
Examples include:
- 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
Ineligible Employers
- Recruitment agencies
- Embassies, consulates, and diplomats
- Employers with compliance violations
- Self-employed individuals
- The applicant’s close family members
Requirements For Workers in Canada and Out-of-Status Applicants
To apply under the Workers in Canada stream, applicants must:
- Be living in Canada
- Have a valid work permit, maintained status, or legal work authorization through a public policy
Some out-of-status workers (140 spots per stream) can apply if they:
- Entered Canada before December 16, 2021
- Had a valid work permit after that date
- Are not inadmissible for reasons other than overstaying their status or unauthorized work
Settlement Funds
Applicants under the Applicants not working in Canada stream must show proof of funds based on family size.
The amount of funds that need to be shown depends on the size of an applicant’s family, including:
- Themselves
- Their spouse or common-law partner
- Their dependent children
- Their spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children
Applicants should include their spouse or common-law partner and all their dependent children, even if they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and even if they are not accompanying the applicant to Canada.
Applicants not working in Canada must show the following settlement funds, based on the size of their family:
| Family Members | Funds Needed (CAD) |
| 1 | $14,690 |
| 2 | $18,288 |
| 3 | $22,483 |
| 4 | $27,297 |
| 5 | $30,690 |
| 6 | $34,917 |
| 7 | $38,875 |
| For each additional member | Add $3,958 |
Application Fees For The HCWP Program
The last thing to know under eligibility details for PR under Home Care Worker Pilots is application fees for the program.
Applicants under either pilot program and stream therein are subject to the following fees unless given specific exemptions:
| Fee Type | Amount (CAD) |
| Processing Fee | $1,525 |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee | $575 |
| Biometrics Fee | – $85 (individual) – $170 (family) |
| Application Fees | Medical exam, police certificates, ECA, language tests |
Note that under the Canadian immigration law, employers cannot charge recruitment fees to applicants, nor back charge recruitment fees that they paid to hire a foreign national.
If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490, or you can drop us an email at [email protected].
