Canada Launches New Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Program with First-Year Quota Set at 2,750
On March 8, 2025, then-Canadian Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced at a press conference that Canada would launch a new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Program (HCWP) to provide immigration opportunities for individuals aspiring to work in home care in Canada. The program plans to approve permanent residence for 2,750 home care workers, with 150 spots reserved for care workers currently in Canada who have lost their status.
HCWP Program Categories:
- Workers in Canada Stream: For foreign home care workers currently residing in Canada.
- Applicants Not Working in Canada Stream: For foreign home care workers currently residing outside Canada.
The specific quota for the Applicants Not Working in Canada stream has not yet been announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The program is expected to officially launch on March 31, initially accepting applications only from the Workers in Canada stream. The application channel for overseas applicants is expected to open at a later date, with the specific time yet to be announced.
Miller emphasized that the HCWP is not only a short-term solution to fill labor gaps but could also become part of long-term immigration policy. He stated, "This pilot program will demonstrate to the nation that regularization mechanisms can effectively address both labor shortages and social inclusion challenges."
HCWP Program Application Eligibility Simplified, Emphasizing Practical Work Experience
Compared to other permanent residence pathways in Canada, the HCWP program has relatively relaxed eligibility requirements, including:
- Work Experience or Training:
- At least 6 months of recent work experience related to home care (either in Canada or abroad); or
- At least 6 months of education related to home care training.
- Educational Background:
- Possess an equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma (or higher)
- Language Proficiency:
- English proficiency at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4; or
- French proficiency at Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) level 4.
- Job Offer: Must have a full-time job offer from:
- A private household; or
- An agency that directly employs full-time home care workers to provide short-term or temporary care*.
- *Note: Agencies include but are not limited to:
- Home health care service providers;
- Home care support service providers;
- Direct care agencies;
- Personal care services in residential settings; or
- Pediatric home health care service providers.
- Job offers from recruitment and placement agencies do not qualify for the HCWP.
- Applying for the HCWP does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
More detailed eligibility requirements will be announced when the program officially launches on March 31.
Promoting Regularization for More Temporary Residents
The HCWP is seen as a crucial part of Canada’s strategy to promote "regularization," which allows temporary residents who have lost their status due to expired work or study permits to regain legal residence and eventually apply for permanent residence.
In recent years, Canada’s immigration policies have been pushing for the regularization of more temporary residents, particularly those providing essential services in key industries.
A notable example is the recently announced pathway for undocumented construction workers in Canada, which will allow up to 6,000 undocumented construction workers to regain legal status and apply for permanent residence. The construction industry has long been one where labor demand far exceeds the available workforce in Canada, highlighting the importance of these foreign workers, especially as Canada strives to address housing supply issues.
These regularization pathways align with IRCC’s goals in three key areas:
- They help the immigration department meet its immigration targets without adding new burdens to the population (which could exacerbate housing affordability and pressure);
- They allow temporary residents working in critical economic sectors to continue contributing to Canadian society;
- They help address structural labor deficits in key economic and social sectors in Canada, a problem that often requires immigration measures to resolve.
Canada Launches New Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Program with First-Year Quota Set at 2,750
The Canadian government has announced the launch of a new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Program (HCWP), which aims to provide permanent residence to 2,750 home care workers, with priority given to applicants already in Canada. The program is designed to address the shortage of care workers in Canada and provide a pathway for temporary residents to obtain legal status.
03/16/2025
The Transformation of Canada’s Immigration Policy Under New Prime Minister Carney
In March 2025, Canada welcomed its 24th Prime Minister, Mark Carney, who swiftly adjusted the nation’s immigration policies. Carney advocated that while Canada should continue to remain open to new immigrants, greater emphasis must be placed on the quality and structural optimization of immigration. His new policy prioritizes the recruitment of high-skilled talent and the refinement of the points-based selection system. At the same time, more stringent management measures will be applied to temporary workers and international students, promoting the conversion of temporary residents into permanent ones. In contrast to the previous administration’s more lenient policies, Carney’s government is determined to balance economic growth with the pressures on public services, ensuring that the number of immigrants aligns with the capacities of housing, healthcare, and other essential infrastructures for long-term sustainable population growth and social prosperity.
03/15/2025
Manitoba and Alberta’s New Round of Provincial Nominee Invitations Released: Key Industries and Score Thresholds Draw Attention
Canada’s Manitoba and Alberta provinces have recently issued multiple rounds of invitations to immigration applicants through their respective Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). On March 6, Manitoba conducted two rounds of draws targeting both local and overseas skilled workers, issuing a total of 111 invitation letters; meanwhile, from February 7 to March 5, Alberta held several targeted screenings for key sectors including agriculture, technology, construction, healthcare, and law enforcement, with significant variations in the minimum score thresholds across industries.
03/14/2025
Canada to Restart Invitations for Parents and Grandparents Family Reunification Immigration in 2025 – Targeting Applicants Who Submitted Interest in 2020
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on March 7, 2025, that it will resume issuing invitations under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in 2025. This draw will be exclusively for applicants who submitted an interest to sponsor in 2020. Meanwhile, as an alternative, the Super Visa policy has recently relaxed its health insurance requirements, providing more flexible options for family reunification.
03/14/2025
Canada Introduces New Immigration Policy for the Construction Industry: Amnesty Path for Undocumented Construction Workers, Loosening Restrictions on Apprentice Work Permits
In order to alleviate the labor crisis in the construction industry caused by a housing shortage, the Canadian government recently announced a series of major reforms. The new measures include reserving permanent residency spots for up to 6,000 undocumented construction workers, and allowing eligible temporary foreign workers to participate in apprenticeship training without the need for a study permit. Additionally, the government will establish an advisory committee to provide professional guidance on the policies, while also expanding the construction occupation categories in the Express Entry system.
03/09/2025
Prince Edward Island Tightens Atlantic Immigration Program, Accepting Only Healthcare, Construction, and Manufacturing Workers
In response to a federal cut in economic immigration quotas and an unprecedented surge in applications, Prince Edward Island (PEI) has revised its Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) effective January 24, 2025. The new policy restricts applications exclusively to foreign workers employed in healthcare, construction, and manufacturing. Applicants in other sectors must now seek alternative pathways, such as Express Entry or the PEI Provincial Nominee Program, to obtain permanent residency in Canada.
03/08/2025
Canada’s Agri-Food Pilot Immigration Program Closes – Applicants Must Seek Alternative Pathways
The Canadian government’s Agri-Food Pilot Immigration Program, designed for foreign workers in the agriculture and food processing sectors, reached its application cap on February 13, 2025, and is no longer accepting new applications. Cases already submitted will continue to be processed, but workers who have not yet applied will need to explore alternative immigration pathways, such as the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), Express Entry, and Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).
03/07/2025
New Brunswick Opens Two New Provincial Nominee Streams Targeting Skilled Immigrants and Local Workers
Starting from March 5, 2025, New Brunswick has officially launched two enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams linked to Express Entry, aimed at attracting more eligible international talent to apply for Canadian permanent residency. The newly introduced “Employment in New Brunswick Pathway” and “New Brunswick Interests Pathway” feature multiple optimizations in application requirements, including lowering the minimum age requirement, strengthening residency and work experience criteria, and setting exclusions for certain occupations.
03/06/2025
Canada’s Immigration Backlog Continues to Improve: Inventory Drops to 892,000 in the First Month of 2025
According to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the immigration backlog fell below one million for the second consecutive month in January 2025, with a total backlog of 892,000 cases—a 5.33% decrease from December 2024. While the processing efficiency of permanent resident programs remains stable, the backlog rate for temporary resident visas has surged past 71%, and study permit backlogs continue to rise. Meanwhile, work permit processing efficiency has significantly improved, with the backlog rate dropping sharply from 57% to 42%. The federal government has implemented policies such as setting immigration quotas and cutting jobs to ease inventory pressure, but the long-term effects remain to be seen.
03/06/2025
Express Entry 338th Round: 725 Invitations Issued for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Candidates, Minimum CRS Score 667
In the latest Express Entry draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency to 725 eligible candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This draw required candidates to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 667 and to have created their Express Entry profile before 18:25 UTC on June 5, 2024. As the first draw of the month, this event follows previous draws for French language proficiency, two PNP rounds, and two rounds for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This year, Express Entry draws have primarily focused on PNP and CEC candidates.
03/04/2025
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