Home Care Worker Pilot — Child Care

Overview

The Home Child Care Provider Pilot is a five-year (2024-2029) Canadian immigration program that allows eligible caregivers to come to Canada and become permanent residents. The pilot is designed to address the demand for in-home child care services across Canada. Applicants who successfully meet the program’s criteria will receive a work permit, allowing them to gain the necessary work experience in Canada, and a direct pathway to apply for permanent residence.

How it works

Under this pilot, applicants first apply for a work permit. If approved, they can come to Canada and work for a Canadian family as a child care provider. After accumulating 12 months of qualifying work experience in Canada, they can apply for permanent residence. The program includes provisions for family members to accompany the principal applicant, offering them open work permits or study permits.

Who it's for

This program is for foreign nationals who have experience working as home child care providers, or who have a job offer to work as one in Canada. It aims to provide a clear and direct path to permanent residency for individuals committed to working in the child care sector and contributing to Canadian society.

To be eligible for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot, applicants must meet several key criteria:

• Job Offer or Canadian Work Experience:

  • Applicants must have a genuine job offer from a Canadian employer to work as a home child care provider (National Occupational Classification (NOC) 44100). The job offer must be full-time (at least 30 hours per week) and outside of Quebec.
  • Alternatively, applicants must have at least 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada as a home child care provider within the 36 months before applying for permanent residence.

• Language Proficiency:

  • A minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 5 in English or French. This must be demonstrated through an approved language test (e.g., IELTS or CELPIP for English, TEF or TCF for French).

• Education:

  • Applicants must hold a post-secondary education credential of at least one year in length. If the education was obtained outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report is required from an IRCC-approved organization, confirming its equivalency to a Canadian post-secondary credential.

• Admissibility:

  • Applicants and their accompanying family members must be admissible to Canada, meaning they must not have any criminal records, serious medical conditions, or other reasons that would make them inadmissible under Canadian immigration law.

• Completed Application Forms: All necessary IRCC application forms for work permits and permanent residence.
• Passport: A valid passport for the applicant and all accompanying family members.
• Language Test Results: Official results from an approved language test (e.g., IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, TCF) showing a CLB 5 or higher.
• Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): An ECA report for foreign educational credentials, confirming equivalency to a Canadian post-secondary credential of at least one year.
• Job Offer Letter: A written job offer from a Canadian employer for a full-time home child care provider position (NOC 44100), if applicable.
• Work Experience Documentation: Letters of employment, reference letters, pay stubs, and other verifiable documents proving at least 12 months of qualifying work experience as a home child care provider in Canada, if applicable.
• Proof of Funds: While not strictly required for this program with a job offer, demonstrating sufficient funds to establish oneself in Canada can be beneficial.
• Police Certificates: From all countries where the applicant has lived for six months or more since the age of 18.
• Medical Exam: Confirmation of a completed immigration medical examination from an IRCC-approved panel physician.
• Marriage Certificate/Birth Certificates: For accompanying family members to prove relationships.

The application process for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot generally involves the following steps:

1. Determine Eligibility: Assess if you meet the language, education, and experience requirements of the pilot program.
2. Obtain a Job Offer (if applicable): Secure a qualifying job offer from a Canadian employer as a home child care provider. The employer does not need an LMIA.
3. Submit Work Permit Application: Apply for a work permit under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot. This application will also include your intent to apply for permanent residence.
4. Receive a Work Permit and Arrive in Canada: Upon approval, you will be issued a work permit specific to the program. You can then travel to Canada and begin working for your employer.
5. Gain Required Work Experience: Work full-time as a home child care provider in Canada for a minimum of 12 months (or accumulate 12 months of experience if you already have it).
6. Submit Permanent Residence Application: Once you have accumulated 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience, submit your application for permanent residence under the pilot program.
7. Medical and Security Checks: Complete immigration medical examinations and obtain police certificates as part of the permanent residence application process.
8. Receive Permanent Residence: If your application is approved and you are found admissible, you and your accompanying family members will be granted permanent residence in Canada.

Applicants approved under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot can include their family members in their application for permanent residence. Eligible family members include:

• Spouse or Common-Law Partner: Your spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit, allowing them to work for any employer in Canada.
• Dependent Children: Your dependent children (under 22 years old and not married or in a common-law relationship) can apply for study permits to attend school in Canada. If they are minors, they can attend primary and secondary school without a study permit. Dependent children will also be included in the permanent residence application.

All accompanying family members must also meet admissibility requirements, including medical and security checks.

Upon approval of your work permit application under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot, you will receive an occupation-specific work permit. This work permit allows you to work only as a home child care provider (NOC 44100) for an approved employer in Canada. Your spouse or common-law partner, if accompanying you, may be eligible for an open work permit, allowing them to work for any employer in Canada without restrictions. Once you receive permanent residence through this program, you will have the right to work in any occupation for any employer in Canada.

The Home Child Care Provider Pilot offers a direct pathway to permanent residence in Canada. Initially, applicants receive a work permit that allows them to gain the necessary Canadian work experience. After accumulating 12 months of full-time work experience as a home child care provider in Canada, applicants become eligible to apply for permanent residence. The program is specifically designed to transition eligible caregivers and their families from temporary residents to permanent residents, contributing to Canada's long-term care needs.

• Incomplete Application: Failing to provide all required documents or information can lead to the refusal of an application.
• Ineligibility: Not meeting the minimum requirements for language proficiency (CLB 5), education (one-year post-secondary equivalent), or work experience.
• Non-Genuine Job Offer: The job offer is not considered genuine, full-time, or does not meet the NOC 44100 classification.
• Misrepresentation: Providing false information or misrepresenting facts on the application can result in a refusal and a ban from reapplying for several years.
• Admissibility Issues: Criminal records, serious medical conditions, or other security concerns that make the applicant or their family members inadmissible to Canada.
• Insufficient Funds: While not strictly a refusal reason for those with a job offer, inability to demonstrate financial capacity for settlement can sometimes raise concerns.
• Lack of Canadian Work Experience: For the permanent residence stage, not having accumulated the required 12 months of full-time Canadian work experience as a home child care provider.