Caregiver Program in Canada 2026: Pilots, PR & Status

The caregiver program in Canada has changed twice in the last seven years and is changing again now. The original Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) closed in 2014. Its replacements, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot, closed to new applicants in June 2024. Their replacements, the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWIP), opened on March 31, 2025 and were paused on December 19, 2025 after their cap filled within hours of launch. This guide covers what the caregiver program in Canada looks like today, who can still qualify, what the application would cost when intake reopens, and what realistic alternatives exist for applicants caught by the pause.

Contents Show

Key Takeaways

The federal caregiver program in Canada is now run as the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (Child Care Class and Home Support Class). IRCC paused intake on December 19, 2025 and confirmed the program will not reopen in March 2026.
Existing applications submitted before the pause are still being processed against the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan. The pause applies only to new submissions.
HCWIP eligibility hinges on a job offer in NOC 44100, 44101, 42202, or 33102, Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in all four abilities, a secondary school credential, and either six months of recent care work experience or six months of caregiving education.
Total IRCC fees per principal applicant: CAD $1,675 (CAD $990 processing + CAD $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee + CAD $85 biometrics) under the schedule effective April 30, 2026. A spouse adds CAD $1,590; a dependent child is CAD $270 each.
The Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) has not accepted new applications since November 30, 2014. A small number of legacy LCP files are still in IRCC processing in 2026 and remain valid for permanent residence under the original 3,900-hour rule.
Quebec is excluded from the federal caregiver program in Canada because the province operates its own Programme des aides familiaux under the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ).

Check Out Canada Immigration Live- in Caregiver Program Success Rate for 5 years (2018 to 2022):

What Is the Caregiver Program in Canada?

The caregiver program in Canada is a federal immigration pathway that lets foreign nationals work as home child care providers, home support workers, nurse aides, or early childhood educators inside Canadian households or eligible care organizations and apply for permanent residence in the same window. The current shape of the program is the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, a pair of pilot classes that replaced the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot in 2025.

Each pilot offers two streams: Stream A for workers already in Canada with valid status, and Stream B for applicants who are abroad or out of status. Both streams lead to the same outcome, a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), but they have different intake caps, different document burdens, and different rules around proof of funds.

The caregiver program in Canada is unusual among federal economic-class pathways because it is occupation-specific rather than employer-specific. A worker arriving on an HCWIP work permit can change households or care employers without filing a fresh permit application, as long as the new role fits the same NOC code. That mobility was the reform IRCC introduced in 2019 in direct response to the abuse cases that surfaced under the old Live-in Caregiver Program.

A Short History of the Caregiver Program in Canada

The caregiver program in Canada has gone through four named iterations since 2014. Knowing the timeline matters because applicants still in the pipeline from earlier programs follow earlier rules.

Program	Effective Dates	Status in 2026	What Replaced It
Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP)	Pre-2014 to November 30, 2014 (closed to new)	Legacy files still processing under 3,900-hour rule	Caring for Children / High Medical Needs Pilots
Caring for Children Pilot and Caring for People with High Medical Needs Pilot	November 30, 2014 to June 18, 2019	Closed	Home Child Care Provider Pilot / Home Support Worker Pilot
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot	June 18, 2019 to June 17, 2024	Closed (legacy files still processing)	Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWIP), Child Care Class and Home Support Class	March 31, 2025 launch; December 19, 2025 intake paused	Paused, no reopen scheduled	To be announced (IRCC redesigning the federal caregiver pathway)

Two other federal routes that touch caregiver work, the Interim Pathway for Caregivers (closed October 8, 2019) and a small number of permanent-residence applications submitted under the older “Live-in Caregiver Class,” are still trickling through processing in 2026. Anyone holding a file under any of these programs should monitor their IRCC online account and respond to procedural fairness letters within the deadline printed on the letter.

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots: The Current Caregiver Program in Canada

The two HCWIP classes serve different occupations but share the same eligibility template, the same application process, and the same CAD $1,590 IRCC processing-and-RPRF combined fee.

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care Class

The Child Care Class covers two NOC codes:

NOC 44100 Home child care providers (nannies, live-out child care providers, in-home babysitters in regulated settings).
NOC 42202 Early childhood educators and assistants (ECEs working in licensed daycares, preschools, and family resource centres).

A qualifying job offer must be full-time (30 hours per week minimum), non-seasonal, and at the prevailing wage for the occupation in the province where the work is located. Acceptable employers include private households and licensed child care facilities. The work cannot be a sick-leave or maternity-leave replacement role.

Check Out New Canada Immigration Program:

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support Class

The Home Support Class covers another two NOC codes:

NOC 44101 Home support workers, caregivers, and related occupations (in-home elder care, palliative support, attendant care for people with disabilities).
NOC 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates working in private residences or eligible care organizations.

Eligible employer types include private households, home health care providers, direct-care agencies, residential care facilities, and pediatric home health care services. The job must be located outside Quebec.

Application Caps Per Class

IRCC’s published intake caps for HCWIP, before the December 19, 2025 pause, were:

Period	Cap per Class	Stream Split
March 31, 2025 to March 30, 2026 (year one)	2,610 applications	Stream A only (workers in Canada)
March 31, 2026 to March 30, 2027 (year two)	2,750 applications	Stream A only (intake paused before opening)
March 31, 2027 onward (planned)	2,750 applications	Stream A and Stream B split (1,375 each)

The year-one cap filled within hours of launch on March 31, 2025. Out-of-status workers had a separate sub-cap of 125 online applications and 15 alternate-format applications per class. That sub-cap also closed almost immediately.

Caregiver Program in Canada: Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for HCWIP under either class, an applicant must meet every item in the IRCC eligibility list. There is no points score and no waiver mechanism.

Job offer. A full-time, non-seasonal, genuine offer in NOC 44100, 42202, 44101, or 33102 from an eligible Canadian employer outside Quebec, at the prevailing wage. The offer is verified by IRCC; it does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is one of the program’s structural advantages.
Work experience or training. Either at least six months of full-time, continuous, recent paid work experience in the relevant occupation (within the last three years), or a Canadian or foreign credential of at least six months in a caregiving program (with an Educational Credential Assessment for foreign credentials, completed within the past five years).
Language proficiency. CLB 4 in all four abilities (listening, reading, writing, speaking) on an IRCC-approved test (IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada). Tests must be taken within two years of application.
Education. A Canadian secondary school credential or a foreign equivalent supported by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by WES, ICAS, IQAS, CES, or another IRCC-designated organization.
Status. Stream A applicants must hold valid Canadian status (work permit, study permit, visitor record). Stream B applicants apply from outside Canada or, in the limited out-of-status sub-cap, from inside Canada without status.
Settlement funds (Stream B only). Applicants must show settlement funds equal to 50 percent of the Minimum Necessary Income (LICO 50) for their family size. Stream A applicants are exempt because they are already working in Canada.
Admissibility. Pass medical examination by a panel physician, provide police certificates from every country lived in for six or more months in the past decade, and clear security and background checks.
Intent to live outside Quebec. Quebec runs its own caregiver pathway through the Programme des aides familiaux under PEQ; the federal HCWIP is not available to applicants whose job offer is in Quebec.

Caregiver Program in Canada: Step-by-Step Application

The process below describes how an HCWIP application moved through IRCC before the December 19, 2025 pause and how it is expected to work when intake resumes under the redesigned caregiver program in Canada IRCC has signaled for late 2026.

Secure a qualifying job offer. The offer must be in writing, signed by the employer, and use the IRCC-prescribed offer of employment template. The employer must have been operating in Canada for at least one year, be based outside Quebec, and be one of the eligible employer types for the chosen NOC.
Take an approved language test. Aim for CLB 4 minimum, but a higher score does not improve odds (HCWIP is not points-based). Schedule the test early because seats fill quickly in major centres.
Complete the Educational Credential Assessment. Foreign secondary or post-secondary credentials need an ECA from a designated organization. Canadian high school graduates skip this step.
Gather supporting documents. Passport bio page, language results, ECA report (if needed), employment reference letters covering the six-month experience requirement, training completion letter (if using the education stream), police certificates, medical exam confirmation, and the IRCC-prescribed Schedule A, IMM 0008, and IMM 5562 forms.
Submit through the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal. HCWIP is an online-first program; alternate-format paper submissions exist only for accommodation reasons and have a much smaller cap.
Pay IRCC fees. CAD $990 processing fee for the principal applicant, CAD $600 RPRF, CAD $85 biometrics. Spouses pay CAD $1,590 combined; dependent children pay CAD $270 each. The RPRF can be deferred to just before COPR issuance if the applicant prefers, although IRCC encourages payment up front.
Provide biometrics. Within 30 days of receiving the biometric instruction letter, attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) or a Service Canada location for in-Canada applicants.
Receive a temporary or open work permit (Stream B). Stream B applicants approved at first stage can receive a one-year work permit, allowing them to begin the qualifying job in Canada while permanent residence finishes processing.
Final decision and COPR. Once IRCC verifies that all requirements are met, the applicant receives a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, for those still abroad, a permanent resident visa stamped in the passport.
Land as a permanent resident. Cross the border or attend a flagpole to activate permanent residence and receive the official PR card by mail at the Canadian address on file.

Posted IRCC processing time for HCWIP files at the time of the pause was 6 to 12 months from biometrics. Real-world processing on legacy Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot files in 2026 is closer to 12 to 18 months because IRCC is working through the backlog before reopening the new pilots.

Caregiver Program in Canada: 2026 Fees

The following fees apply under the IRCC schedule effective April 30, 2026. They are the same for both HCWIP classes and for legacy Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot applications still in process.

Fee	Amount (CAD)	Who Pays
Principal applicant processing fee	$990	Applicant
Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)	$600	Applicant
Spouse or common-law partner (combined fee)	$1,590	Applicant
Dependent child	$270 each	Applicant
Biometrics, individual	$85	Applicant
Biometrics, family of two or more	$170	Applicant
Employer-side LMIA fee	Not required	N/A

A single applicant with no dependents pays a flat CAD $1,675 to IRCC. A married applicant with one child pays CAD $3,535 (CAD $1,590 + $1,590 + $270 + $85 individual biometrics for the child if a separate visit is required). Add the cost of language testing (CAD $300 to $400), ECA (CAD $200 to $300), police certificates (varies, often CAD $25 to $100 per country), and the panel physician medical exam (CAD $200 to $400).

What the December 2025 Pause Means for Applicants

On December 19, 2025, IRCC announced a pause on new HCWIP applications, citing demand that “continues to exceed available spaces” and the need to clear the backlog before issuing fresh invitations. The pause has three concrete effects.

No new submissions. IRCC is not accepting new HCWIP applications under either class. The portal returns an error if an applicant tries to start a new file.
Existing files keep moving. Applications submitted before December 19, 2025 (including HCWIP, legacy Home Child Care Provider Pilot, and legacy Home Support Worker Pilot files) continue to be processed against the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan caregiver allocation.
Reopen date unknown. IRCC has confirmed the program will not reopen in March 2026 and has signaled that a redesigned caregiver pathway is in development. No firm date is published. Plan for an announcement in late 2026 at the earliest.

The pause does not affect work permits already issued under HCWIP, occupation-specific work permits issued under the legacy pilots, or LCP files still in the queue.

Caregiver Program in Canada vs. Other Pathways

If HCWIP is unavailable, four other federal or provincial routes can lead to Canadian permanent residence for caregiver-occupation workers.

Quebec aides familiaux stream (PEQ). Quebec runs its own caregiver pathway under the Programme des aides familiaux inside the Quebec Experience Program. Requirements include 24 months of qualifying Quebec work experience, intermediate French, and a Certificat de selection du Quebec (CSQ) issued by the Ministere de l’Immigration. Available throughout 2026 with no federal pause.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) caregiver work permits. Employers can still hire foreign caregivers on a TFWP work permit through the in-home caregiver stream, with a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment. The work permit is employer-specific. It does not lead directly to permanent residence, but the work experience earned can later support a Provincial Nominee Program application or, in some cases, a Canadian Experience Class application if the role is in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Provincial Nominee Programs. Several provinces nominate caregivers under their own labour-market-aligned streams, including Saskatchewan’s Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot, the BC PNP Skilled Worker stream for nurse aides, and Manitoba’s Skilled Worker In-Manitoba category.
Atlantic Immigration Program. Caregivers with a job offer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador may qualify under the AIP, which uses a designated-employer model rather than a points draw.

For applicants weighing options, the realistic short-term play in 2026 is a TFWP work permit (paired with the employer’s LMIA application) plus a parallel PNP or AIP nomination strategy. Wait for HCWIP to reopen at the cost of being out of work for 12 or more months is rarely the right choice.

Bringing a Caregiver to Canada as an Employer

Canadian families and care organizations that want to hire a caregiver from abroad in 2026 cannot route the worker through HCWIP because intake is paused. The available routes are:

TFWP caregiver work permit (in-home stream). The employer applies to Service Canada for an LMIA, demonstrating that no Canadian or permanent resident is available for the role. The wage must equal or exceed the prevailing wage for the NOC and province. Once the LMIA is positive, the worker applies for a closed work permit that ties them to the employer.
High-wage versus low-wage stream. Caregiver roles typically fall into the low-wage TFWP stream. Employers must show recruitment efforts (job postings on Job Bank and two other platforms for at least four weeks) and pay the CAD $1,000 LMIA application fee.
Pathway to permanent residence after arrival. Once the caregiver has Canadian work experience, options include the next iteration of the federal caregiver program, a PNP nomination, or a CEC application if the role is reclassified into a TEER level CEC accepts.

Hiring a relative as a caregiver is technically possible but flagged as a high-refusal-risk profile by IRCC. Family-relationship hiring through TFWP requires extra evidence that the employment is genuine and at arm’s length on wage and hours.

Common Caregiver Program in Canada Mistakes That Cause Refusals

Using the wrong NOC code on the job offer. Submitting a Child Care Class application against a Home Support Class job offer (or the reverse) triggers an automatic refusal at completeness check.
Submitting a Quebec-located job offer. The federal caregiver program in Canada excludes Quebec. Quebec offers are routed to PEQ, not HCWIP.
Failing the six-month experience test on the wrong reference letter. Reference letters must specify hours worked per week, the exact NOC duties performed, and the dates of employment. Generic letters are rejected.
Letting language test results expire. CLB results are valid for two years on the day IRCC receives the application. Applicants who get caught in a backlog often need to retake the test.
Misunderstanding Stream A status requirements. Stream A applicants must hold valid Canadian status throughout the application. Letting a work permit expire mid-process drops them from Stream A and forces a re-route through Stream B.
Forgetting the medical exam. HCWIP requires an upfront medical exam by a panel physician, not the older “report after invitation” model used in Express Entry. Submitting without it delays the file.

Caregiver Program in Canada: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the caregiver program in Canada in 2026?

The federal caregiver program in Canada in 2026 is the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, made up of the Child Care Class (NOC 44100 and 42202) and the Home Support Class (NOC 44101 and 33102). New intake is paused as of December 19, 2025 and will not reopen in March 2026. Existing applications continue to be processed by IRCC.

Is the Live-in Caregiver Program still open?

The Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) closed to new applicants on November 30, 2014. A small number of LCP files are still in the IRCC processing queue under the original rules (3,900 hours of authorized Canadian work experience over four years), and those applicants can still complete the path to permanent residence. New caregiver applicants cannot enter the LCP.

What replaced the Home Child Care Provider Pilot?

The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care Class replaced the Home Child Care Provider Pilot in March 2025. The new pilot expanded the eligible NOC list to include early childhood educators (NOC 42202) alongside home child care providers (NOC 44100), and it lowered the language requirement from CLB 5 to CLB 4.

What are the eligibility requirements for the caregiver program in Canada?

Applicants need a full-time job offer in NOC 44100, 44101, 42202, or 33102 from an eligible employer outside Quebec, CLB 4 in all four language abilities, a Canadian secondary school credential or ECA-validated foreign equivalent, and either six months of recent care work experience or six months of caregiving training. Stream B applicants also need settlement funds at 50 percent of LICO.

How much does the caregiver program in Canada cost in 2026?

A single applicant pays CAD $1,675 in IRCC fees: $990 processing + $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee + $85 biometrics. Spouses are an additional $1,590 combined fee, and each dependent child is $270. Add language testing, ECA, police certificates, and a panel-physician medical exam, which together run another CAD $700 to $1,200 on top of the IRCC fees.

How long does the caregiver program in Canada take to process?

IRCC’s posted service standard for HCWIP at the time of the December 2025 pause was 6 to 12 months from biometrics. Legacy Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot files are processing closer to 12 to 18 months in 2026 as IRCC works through the backlog created when the older pilots closed in June 2024.

Can I apply for the caregiver program in Canada if I am out of status?

The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots include a small out-of-status sub-cap (125 online applications plus 15 alternate-format applications per class) for workers already inside Canada. That sub-cap closed within hours of the March 31, 2025 launch. With intake currently paused, no out-of-status applications are being accepted in 2026. Watch for the redesigned pathway IRCC has signaled.

What is the difference between the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots and the Live-in Caregiver Program?

The Live-in Caregiver Program required workers to live in the employer’s home, accumulate 3,900 authorized hours over four years, and apply for permanent residence after the work was complete. The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots do not require live-in arrangements, use occupation-specific work permits, and let approved applicants land as permanent residents within months of arrival rather than years.

Is a Labour Market Impact Assessment required for the caregiver program in Canada?

No. HCWIP is LMIA-exempt; the qualifying job offer is verified directly by IRCC without an LMIA. This is a structural advantage of the federal caregiver program in Canada compared with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, where every caregiver work permit requires the employer to obtain a positive LMIA from Service Canada at a CAD $1,000 fee.

Can I bring my family on the caregiver program in Canada?

Yes. HCWIP includes spouses and dependent children on the principal application. The spouse can receive an open work permit and dependent children can receive study permits, allowing the family to land together rather than waiting for sponsorship after the principal applicant’s permanent residence is approved.

Caregiver Program in Canada 2026: Pilots, PR Pathway, and Current Status