Qualifying Work Experience

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) outlines the following information on work experience criteria for the pilots:

• As of April 30, 2023, you need to have at least 12 months of full-time work experience within the 36 months before applying to a pilot.
• The work experience must fall under National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 4411 or 4412.
• Your work experience must be in one of these jobs, not a mix of both.
• You need to demonstrate that your job matched the NOC job description and that you completed most of the main duties.
• The 12 months of work experience does not need to be consecutive.
• Full-time work is defined as at least 30 hours of paid work per week.

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 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 provided in your home or 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.

Language Levels

You must take an IRCC-designated English or French language test and obtain a CLB or NCLC 5 in all four language skills: writing, reading, listening, and speaking.

Education

You must have completed a post-secondary educational credential of at least one year. This can be Canadian or foreign education. If it is foreign education, you must obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

Admissibility

IRCC completes admissibility checks on permanent residence applicants to ensure new immigrants do not pose a risk to the health and safety of Canadians. Each applicant has different documents they need to submit depending on their background. IRCC specifies its requirements in its application guide. Depending on your background, you may need to submit:

• Biometrics
• Medical exam
• Police clearance certificate

It is important to carefully read IRCC’s application requirements to understand what documents you personally need to submit.

Work Permit Pathways for Caregivers

You may be eligible to obtain a work permit if you are applying to one of the pilots and/or you are currently residing in Canada. The work permit rules are as follows:

Open Work Permits for Applicants to the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

IRCC classifies applicants under these pilots into two categories based on whether the applicant has obtained 12 months of eligible Canadian work experience under NOC 4411 or NOC 4412.

Category A (0-23 months of eligible Canadian work experience):

• If you do not yet have 12 months of NOC 4411 or NOC 4412 work experience in Canada, you need to apply for an occupation-restricted open work permit when you submit your permanent residence application under either pilot.
• If you meet all permanent residence eligibility criteria, you will receive a work permit restricted to NOC 4411 or NOC 4412, allowing you to come to Canada as a temporary resident to obtain 12 months of work experience within three years. The three-year period starts the day the work permit is issued.

Category B (12 months of eligible Canadian work experience):

• If you have already completed 12 months of eligible Canadian work experience under NOC 4411 or NOC 4412, you are not required to apply for an occupation-restricted open work permit when submitting your permanent residence application under either pilot.
• You are eligible to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) with or after your immigration application is submitted. The BOWP application will not be processed until IRCC assesses your permanent residence eligibility.

Your spouses and dependants are eligible to join you in Canada and obtain open work permits themselves.

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

Families can hire foreign caregivers to assist children, seniors, or persons with certified medical needs when no Canadians or permanent residents are available to do the job. The caregiver must provide care on a full-time basis (at least 30 hours per week) and work in the private household where the care is being provided.

The caregiver can assist with children under 18 years of age in roles such as NOC 4411. They can also assist seniors (65 and over) and people with disabilities or serious illness in roles such as NOC 3012, NOC 3233, and NOC 4412.

Families must submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application to the Canadian government and get it approved. The foreign caregiver can then apply for a work permit from IRCC.

However, work permits for caregivers under NOC 4411 and 4412 will only be issued under the following conditions:

• Caregivers working in any province or territory except Quebec must already reside in Canada for IRCC to process their work permit. IRCC will refuse to process the work permit if you are living overseas.
• Caregivers working in Quebec can reside in Quebec or overseas. IRCC will process the work permit as long as eligibility criteria are met.

Contact Us for Assistance

Nextgen Overseas is a leading immigration consultancy with extensive experience helping clients navigate Canadian immigration pathways. If you want to immigrate to Canada through the caregiver pathways or other immigration programs, the first step is to complete a free assessment form. If you are eligible, a member of our team will reach out to provide personalized assistance.