Federal Economic Caregiver Immigration Lawyers in Vancouver, BC

Child care workers who perform services in the home are needed to help sustain Canada’s economy, especially for so many single parent and two income households. In addition, Canada’s population is aging, and consequently, caregivers are needed to support the needs of an aging and disabled population. Two pilots were designed to provide a pathway to permanent residence for these categories of workers: Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot.

Canada offers these pathways to permanent residence status to a limited number of child care and home health worker applicants a year. In 2022, Canada has already met its quota for child care providers: 2750. Applications will reopen in 2023 for permanent residence. Temporary work permits are still being issued and renewed.

Applications are still open for Home Support Workers; 2750 slots are available for 2022.

The interim pathway for caregivers closed after October 8, 2019.

Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

Both the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot offer permanent residence to caregivers who can establish:

• At least 24 months of full-time qualifying work experience in the 36 months before submitting the application;
• Language tests results showing a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5;
• One year of Canadian post-secondary education or the foreign equivalent; and
• Pass an admissibility check (health, criminality, and security).

Qualifying work experience: Your work experience must have been full time, meaning at least 30 hours a week of paid work, during 24 months of the last 36 months before applying for the pilot. This work experience must fall into the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes NOC 4411 or NOC 4412.

• NOC 4411: Home child care providers care for children on an ongoing or short-term basis. They care for the well-being and physical and social development of children, assist parents with child care and may assist with household duties.
• NOC 4412: Home support workers provide personal care and companionship for seniors, persons with disabilities and convalescent clients. Care is provided within the client’s residence, in which the home support worker may also reside. They are employed by home care and support agencies, private households, or they may be self-employed. Housekeepers perform housekeeping and other home management duties in private households and other non-institutional, residential settings.

Work experience cannot be cumulative; it must have been gained in one categories not a mix of several. You must prove that your work responsibilities actually matched the NOC job descriptions.

Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4411 (excluding foster parents) may be eligible for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot:

• You must care for children below the age of 18 in either your home or your employer’s home
• You do not need to live in your employer’s home to be eligible
• Work experience as a foster parent does not count

Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4412 (excluding housekeepers) may be eligible for permanent residence through the Home Support Worker Pilot:

• You must have taken care of someone who needs help from a home support worker. This care can be given in either your home or in your employer’s home
• You do not need to live in your employer’s home to be eligible
• Only home support workers can be eligible under NOC 4412
• Experience as a housekeeper does not count

Caregiver language level requirements: You need to earn a score of CLB or NCLC 5 in all four language skills: writing, reading, listening, and speaking, whether English or French.

Education Requirements: At a minimum you must have completed at least 1 year of post-secondary education in either Canada or in another country. If it is earned in another country, that credential must be assessed and evaluated with the Educational Credential Assessment.

Caregiver admissibility requirements: All applicants for immigration to Canada must pass admissibility checks. To document admissibility an applicant must submit biometrics—fingerprints and a photo—along with a medical exam and police clearance certificate.

Work Permit Pathways for Caregivers

Category A: If you do not yet have the threshold of 24 months of eligible Canadian work experience, you may apply for an occupation-restricted open work permit when you are concurrently applying for permanent residence status as either a child care or home health support worker. Upon issuance, that work permit will allow you to come to Canada to gain work experience under either 4411 or 4412. It remains valid for 3 years upon issuance.

Category B: If at the time of your application for permanent residence you already have completed 24 months of qualified Canadian employment, you do not need to apply for a temporary work permit when completing your application for permanent residence status. Instead, you may apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit, which will be processed once your permanent residence eligibility is confirmed.

In-Home Caregivers Temporary Foreign Worker Program Stream (TFWP)

In addition to the permanent residence status programs, Canada allows families to hire a foreign caregiver for home child care for children under the age of 18 or home health support to those over the age of 65 or disabled, when Canadians or permanent residents are not available. To qualify, the caregivers must:

• Provide care on a full time basis, at least 30 hours per week
• Work in the private household where the care is being provided
• Meet the requirements set for foreign workers

Eligible workers can be a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC 3012); a licensed practical nurse (NOC 3233); attendant for persons with disabilities, home support worker, live in caregiver, personal care attendant (NOC 4412).

Begin Your Economic Caregiver Application Now With Trusted Immigration Counsel

If you are seeking permanent resident status as a foreign child care or home support worker, you can trust the knowledge and experience of Canadian Currents Immigration to guide you through the process. Completing the application process and gathering all of the supporting documentation can be daunting. With the aid of an experienced immigration lawyer at Canadian Currents Immigration, you can apply for Caregiver Permanent status once we determine your eligibility.

Our immigration lawyers at Canadian Currents Immigration will review your status to determine your eligibility for permanent residence status and to help you through the various steps needed to secure your permanent and temporary status.

Start with a confidential 30-minute consultation with a Canadian Currents Immigration immigration lawyer in Vancouver.

Call us now to book a time: 778-331-1164.