For years, caring for children or elderly people in Canadian homes was one of the clearest routes to permanent residence. Many caregivers planned around it: get the experience, meet the language requirement, apply when the pilot opens. That route is now closed to new applicants, and nobody knows for how long.
What happened
The Home Care Worker Immigration pilots, one for home child care providers and one for home support workers, replaced the earlier caregiver pilots in 2025. On December 19, 2025, IRCC paused intake for both pilots until further notice, citing demand that far exceeded the available spaces. The pilots did not reopen in March 2026 as planned.
IRCC continues to process applications already received, and applications under the earlier caregiver programs continue to be processed to completion. The pause stops new applications. It does not cancel anyone’s existing application or work permit.
If you have already applied
Your application is still in process, but expect a long wait. These programs have some of the longest processing times in the economic class. Because of the pause, a large share of the pending applications are waiting for admissions space under the Immigration Levels Plan.
While you wait:
- Keep your work permit valid. If it is tied to the pilot, apply to extend it before it expires so you keep maintained status.
- Keep your file current. Report changes in employer, address and family.
- Watch the length of the wait. In July 2026, the Federal Court ordered IRCC to decide a Home Child Care Provider pilot applicant’s permanent residence application within 60 days, after a wait of more than three and a half years. Our post on the levels-plan waitlist and mandamus explains when that remedy is available.
One measure may help some of you. Under the In-Canada Workers Initiative, IRCC is fast-tracking permanent residence applications already filed through the caregiver pilots where the applicant has lived in a smaller community in Canada for two years or more. There is nothing to apply for. Caregivers in Toronto and other large cities are generally outside the first stage. Our post on the In-Canada Workers Initiative explains who is included.
If you had not applied yet
The pause does not leave caregivers without options, but each route works differently:
- Work permits through an employer. Families can still hire in-home caregivers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program with a Labour Market Impact Assessment. This gives you status and Canadian experience, but not permanent residence by itself. Our post on LMIA-based work permits explains the process.
- Provincial nominee programs. Some provincial streams for in-demand occupations, including in Ontario, have included home support work. Eligibility changes often, so check the current list. Our post on the OINP employer job offer streams covers the Ontario side.
- Rural and Francophone community pilots. These pilots accept job offers from designated employers in participating communities, in occupations each community chooses. Our post on the Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots explains how they work.
- Express Entry. In-home caregiving is generally classified at a skill level that does not count for Express Entry. Caregivers who also work in facility-based roles, such as nurse aides or orderlies, should check whether that experience qualifies.
Protect yourself in the meantime
The end of a direct pathway makes some caregivers more vulnerable to employers who make promises they cannot keep. No employer, agency or consultant can guarantee permanent residence through a closed program. If an employer is holding your documents, withholding pay or threatening your status, the open work permit for vulnerable workers exists for exactly that situation.
How we can help
At Kabir & Alam, we advise caregivers on pending applications, work permit extensions and the routes still open, and we bring mandamus applications where files have stalled. Read more about our work permits and permanent residence practices, or book a consultation with us.
This post is general information about Canadian immigration law and is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts. Speak with a lawyer about your situation before making decisions.