Caregiver programs in Canada have recently changed, cutting applicants’ required work experience hours to qualify for permanent residency. There have also been changes to the functionality of existing caregiver pathways. Also alterations to the Home Child Care Provider (HCCP) pilot and the Home Support Worker (HSW) pilot. These changes come into effect on April 30, 2023 and will be retrospective for caregivers who have already applied. This puts a restricting time limit on understanding the nuances of these changes so that they can have optimization for all caregivers.
Work Experience for Caregivers for Permanent Residence Pathways
On February 10, 2023, the government announced that the work experience requirements for caregivers applying for permanent residence will change on April 30. Previously, applicants under the caregiver pathways required 24 months of Canadian work experience to qualify for permanent residence. This will change to 12 months of work experience and will impact even those applicants whose applications under the caregiver pathways are processing.
Candidates must be able to show work experience that falls under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 44100 (home child care providers) or 44101 (home support workers). Experience must be from one or the other and cannot be from a mix of the two. As was the case before, applicants must demonstrate that the work experience matches the NOC main duties. You must also complete this as a full-time job (defined as a minimum of 30 hours of paid work each week).
Caregivers who already have experience from previous work permits will now have priority for certain spots in the existing caregiver pilots. These changes will occur at the same time as the others. They will also be retrospective for caregivers who have already applied.
Who do the Changes to Caregiver Programs in Canada affect?
These changes are projected to affect 90% of applicants in processing under Canada’s caregiver programs. The two programs affected include the Home Child Care Provider (HCCP) pilot and the Home Support Worker (HSW) pilot.
Applications already received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will be impacted. As well as new applications received under the pilots. These are currently set to expire in June 2024.
Currently, the pilot programs are responsible for nearly 1,600 caregivers and their families becoming permanent residents. 1,100 of which were in 2022.
Gain Insight and Understanding into the Changes to Caregiver Programs in Canada
These are a few of the changes that they have recently announced. Predictions are that it will affect approximately 90% of the applications currently processing under caregiver programs.
This year, LPEN is offering a 3-hour Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course relating to Canada’s caregiver programs. In this course, lawyer Deanna Okun-Nachoff will review the recent changes to these programs. This includes how they fit into existing legislative structure. Also, what they should do to effectively implement future changes to their maximum benefit for every individual applying as a caregiver. Tune into a thorough and complete overview of caregiver programs in Canada. One that is perfect for lawyers, paralegals, and regulated Canadian immigration consultants.
The webinar will go over the history of the programs, the current status of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, current permanent residence pathways for caregivers, and more. It offers 3 CPD credits or hours, depending on the learning requirements of participants.
The live webinar will take place on April 19, 2023, at 12:00 pm EST but you can watch it later as a recording. Visit our website for more information.
