Caregiver Immigration: The two Caregiver pilot programs for immigration to Canada, the Home Child Care Provider (HCCP) and the Home Support Worker (HSW) pilots, are coming to an end this month but are going to be replaced with two new caregiver pilot programs, says Immigration Minister Marc Miller.

And the immigration minister is hinting that caregiver immigration pilot programs might soon become permanent.

“Caregivers play a critical role in supporting Canadian families, and our programs need to reflect their invaluable contributions,” said Miller.

“As we work to implement a permanent caregivers program, these two new pilots will not only improve support for caregivers, but also provide families with the quality care they deserve.”

As part of the 2024–2026 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will admit over 15,000 caregivers as permanent residents.

“After hearing stories and feedback from caregivers across Canada, I am proud that we are taking concrete action to create policies to support the caregiver community,” said Small Business Minister Rechie Valdez.“Generations of women and men have advocated for this important pathway and have cared for our families and loved ones here in Canada. Now is the time to return the care they deserve.”

The new pilot programs will provide homecare workers with their permanent residence on arrival in Canada.

These caregivers will also be allowed to work for organizations that provide temporary or part-­time care for people who are semi-independent or recovering from an injury or illness. These pathways mean that caregivers will be able to more easily find proper work with reliable employers.

Through these new pilot programs, candidates interested in working in Canada’s homecare sector will be eligible to apply if they meet the following criteria:

• attain a minimum of level 4 based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB);
• hold the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma;
• have recent and relevant work experience, and;
• receive an offer for a full-time home care job.

Ottawa is promising to provide full details about these new pilot caregiver programs as they get closer to their launch date.

By the end of April this year, nearly 5,700 caregivers and their family members had become permanent residents through the HCCP and HSW.

Ten years ago, there was an inventory of more than 60,000 persons for the Live-in Caregiver Program. Today, less than one per cent of that Live-in Caregiver Program inventory remains.

The new pilot caregiver programs come in the wake of calls by the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC) to make the requirements for the caregiver programs fairer and allow more foreign nationals to apply and gain their permanent residency.

“Not all of us can pass the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 5 English exam or have completed one year post-secondary education,” claims the MWAC.

Migrants’ Rights Organization Has Protested For Fairer Caregiver Programs

The organization has held rallies under the banner of Migrant Spring in support of migrant rights in Charlottetown, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Fredericton, St. John’s, Vancouver, and Victoria to put pressure on the government to make changes.

Earlier this year, MWAC organizer Jhoey Dulaca warned that those who fail to get their permanent residency could wind up getting deported.

“We don’t know if the government is going to extend or replace the program so right now the care workers are feeling the crisis,” Dulaca reportedly said.

“They don’t know what’s going to happen to them … most of the care workers are losing status because it’s also hard to maintain work permits.”

Earlier this year, Ottawa agreed to slash the amount of experience foreign nationals need to apply for permanent residence under its caregiver programs in half, reducing that work experience requirement to only one year instead of two years.

“Caregivers are an important option for families in Canada and have played an instrumental role in the lives of many growing children, aging parents, and those who need additional specialized care,” said then-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“By reducing the work experience required in Canada to one year, more caregivers and their families will become eligible to transition to permanent residence sooner, meaning that they can settle down and start the next chapter of their lives here in Canada.”

The latest IRCC data reveals that 3,035 foreign nationals gained their permanent residency through the caregiver programs last year.