Hiring a Caregiver in 2025? LMIA is not required anymore

As of 2025, Canada has introduced new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, launching on March 31, 2025, to provide a straightforward pathway to permanent residence for caregivers. These new programs replace the previous Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Pilots, which closed on June 17, 2024, and offer caregivers a direct path to permanent residence upon arrival.

The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker Pilots, which replaced the earlier programs for caring for children and people with high medical needs, closed on June 17, 2024. They are now succeeded by the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, launching on March 31, 2025, offering enhanced pathways for caregivers.

The new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots maintain the occupation-specific nature, allowing caregivers to switch employers within the home care sector. Since caregivers receive permanent residence upon arrival, no LMIA is required, streamlining the hiring process for employers and reducing application processing times.

The new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots are part of Canada’s Federal Economic Pilots, with a total annual quota of 10,875 spots as per the 2025 Immigration Levels Plan. Specific allocations for the caregiver programs will be detailed upon launch. Under the new pilots, caregivers apply directly for permanent residence and receive it upon arrival in Canada, eliminating the need for a separate work permit application.

Basic Immigration Criteria (for Employees)

• Recent and relevant experience in a home care occupation, as defined by NOC 44100 (Home Child Care Provider) or NOC 44101 (Home Support Worker). The exact duration of experience required will be specified in the program guidelines for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots launching March 31, 2025, with permanent residence granted upon arrival.
  
• Have A Genuine And Valid Job Offer From A Canadian Employer
• Have at least CLB 4 language skills in English or French. Possess the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma, as required for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots launching March 31, 2025.
  

Job Offer Criteria (for Employers)

• The job offer must be full-time from a Canadian employer in the home care sector, matching NOC 44100 or 44101, and located anywhere in Canada except Quebec. Since caregivers will have permanent residence under the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots launching March 31, 2025, employers do not need to demonstrate that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available for the position.
  

If you are applying from outside Canada:

• You Must First Be Eligible For This Stream (Satisfy Basic Requirements)
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• Any Accompanying Family Members May Also Have To Undergo Biometrics
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• You Must Certify And Translate Any Documents If They Are Not In English Or French, And Provide An Affidavit From The Person Who Did The Translation Unless They Are Certified In Canada
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• Once Requested, You And Any Accompanying Family Members Must Undergo An Immigration Medical Exam
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• Police Certificates From Countries With More Than 6 Months Of Consecutive Residence After The Age Of 18 Are Mandatory. The Canadian Government Will Process All Background And Criminal Checks Respectively
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• Submit all required documents (e.g., language test results, education credentials, job offer) for permanent residence under the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, launching March 31, 2025. Caregivers will receive permanent residence upon arrival in Canada, eliminating the need to accumulate work experience in Canada before obtaining PR status.
  

If applying from inside Canada for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, launching March 31, 2025, you must have legal status in Canada. The ‘Workers in Canada’ stream will allow eligible caregivers already in the country to apply for permanent residence upon the program’s launch.