Caregiver Pilot Program – Eligibility, Benefits and How to Apply Online?

Citizenship Canada has announced it will open a new immigration pilot program for caregivers. According to IRCC the new pilot program will offer home care workers permanent resident status on arrival in Canada.

Caregiver Pilot Program

They will be allowed to work for organisations that provide temporary or part time care for individuals who are semi-independent or recovering from an injury or illness. To be eligible applicants must attain a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 and hold the equivalent of a Canadian high school. 

This new program means that caregivers can more easily find the proper work with reliable employers and clear, straightforward access to permanent resident status as soon as they arrive in Canada.

The existing pilot programs are set to expire on 17 June in their place the new pilot programs will grant home care workers with permanent resident status when they arrive in Canada, requiring a certain amount of work experience in their country. 

Who is eligible for Caregiver Pilot Program

There are eligible criteria for Caregiver Pilot Program:

• Eligible applicants must attain the minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark level 4. 
• You must hold the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma.
• You should have recent and relevant work experience.
• You should receive an offer for a full- time home care job.
• This program also included a work experience requirement of at least 6 months.
• Families in Canada require a childcare provider as more women traditionally take on more of the caretaking duties for young children. 
• If at any time during the tax year, you will provide support to your spouse or common-law partner who has an impairment in physical or mental functions. 
• Your spouse is a common- law partner’s child or grandchild who needs more help with personal needs and care compared to children of the same age. 
• Your spouse, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, niece or your nephew are resident in Canada for a period of time in the year. 

How to apply for the Caregiver Pilot Program?

The step-by-step instructions to apply for the Caregiver Pilot Program is available below.

• If you are outside Canada then you need to give your fingerprints and photo for biometrics.
• You might need a medical exam. 
• If it’s incomplete then they will return your application without processing it.
• If you are a visitor who is applying in Canada and holds a valid permit in the 12 months. 
• You must stay in Canada while processing your application.
• An officer will also check the list of employers that are not selected.  
• Then go to the interview with their officials in your country and send your information or documents.
• If they ask you to upload documents in your account then you must submit them before midnight.
• If your application is approved then you will get an approval letter that says you are allowed to work in Canada. 

Caregiver Pilot Program Benefits

There are some benefits that provided by the Caregiver Pilot Program:

• According to the 2024- 2026 immigration level plan, Canada expects to welcome more than 15,000 new permanent residents through caregiver programs and as of April 2023 the approximately 5,700 caregivers and family members have become permanent residents since the launch of the Home Child Care Pilot. 
• The Canada caregiver is a non-refundable that you can claim if you support a spouse, common- law partner or a dependent with a physical or mental impairment. It’s due to a demanding career, a heavy workload or a challenging household, extra help is often needed and therefore the demand for live-in caregivers in Canada is growing.  
• The process time for an open work permit for the pilot is 12 months. Caregivers from abroad are invaluable to Canadian families, their hard work makes a difference in the lives of those they care for, including children, seniors and the person who is disabled. 
• The child care provider pilot and the support worker pilot come to a close later this month. This will allow caregivers to continue to come to Canada as work toward making the caregiver pilot program permanent. 
• Caregivers are an important option for families in Canada and have played an instrumental role  in the lives of many growing children, ageing  parents and those who need additional specialised care.