Home Child Care Provider Pilot

In recent years, Canada has witnessed a significant shift in its approach to immigration policies, particularly concerning the integration of skilled workers and caregivers into its workforce. One of the pivotal initiatives in this regard is the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program, designed to address the growing demand for childcare services while offering pathways to permanent residency for qualified caregivers.

Understanding the Need

Canada’s evolving demographics, characterized by an aging population and a rise in dual-income households, have underscored the critical importance of accessible, affordable, and high-quality childcare services. Families across the country are increasingly reliant on professional caregivers to support their children’s development and well-being while balancing work and family responsibilities.

The Role of the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program

Recognizing the vital role of caregivers in Canadian society, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program aims to streamline the immigration process for skilled childcare providers who contribute significantly to the welfare of children and families. This program not only addresses the shortage of qualified caregivers but also fosters economic growth by facilitating the integration of skilled workers into key sectors of the Canadian economy.

Key Features of the Program

1. Employment-Based Immigration: The program offers eligible home child care providers the opportunity to apply for permanent residency after meeting specified work experience requirements and demonstrating proficiency in English or French.
2. Job Offer Requirement: Applicants must secure a genuine job offer from a Canadian employer to participate in the program. This ensures that caregivers are entering the workforce with clear employment prospects, contributing to Canada’s labor market needs.
3. Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): Employers seeking to hire foreign caregivers under this program must obtain a positive LMIA, affirming that the employment of a foreign caregiver will not adversely affect the Canadian job market.
4. Work Experience and Education Criteria: To qualify for permanent residency, caregivers must accumulate a certain amount of work experience in Canada within specific NOC (National Occupational Classification) codes related to childcare. Additionally, educational credentials are assessed to ensure applicants meet the program’s eligibility standards.
5. Family Reunification: The program acknowledges the importance of family reunification by allowing caregivers to include eligible family members in their permanent residency applications, promoting social integration and stability.

Advantages for Caregivers

1. Pathway to Permanent Residency: By participating in the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program, caregivers have a clear pathway to obtaining permanent residency status in Canada, granting them stability and access to various social benefits.
2. Work-Life Balance: The program emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, enabling caregivers to pursue fulfilling careers while contributing to the well-being of Canadian families.
3. Professional Development: Caregivers gain valuable professional experience and training in childcare practices, enhancing their skills and employability within the Canadian labor market.

Benefits for Canadian Families and Communities

1. Quality Childcare Services: The program ensures that Canadian families have access to qualified and experienced caregivers, promoting the provision of high-quality childcare services across the country.
2. Economic Growth: By addressing childcare needs and supporting working parents, the program contributes to economic growth and productivity, allowing individuals to participate more fully in the workforce.
3. Cultural Diversity: The program enriches Canadian communities by welcoming skilled caregivers from diverse backgrounds, fostering cultural exchange and understanding.

New changes to the pilots Updated June 24, 2024

These changes are now in effect and apply to all applications being processed:

1. You only need 6 months of work experience, instead of 12, to qualify.
2. For the Gaining experience category, we’ll accept eligible work experience
   • from inside or outside Canada
   •  gained anytime between the 36-month period before you submitted your permanent residence application and the date you provide proof of work experience

If you already applied to the Gaining experience category and now have enough eligible work experience, you can provide us proof.

If you meet the requirements, you’ll get an occupation-restricted open work permit to work in Canada temporarily. This work permit lets you work as a caregiver for any employer. You must gain at least 6 months of eligible work experience to qualify for permanent residence.

Occupation-restricted open work permit

With this work permit

1. You must work as a home child care provider (NOC 44100) or home support worker (NOC 44101) depending on the pilot you applied to
   • Care must be provided in a private home. The location where you perform the work can’t be an institutional setting such as a daycare or nursing home.
2. You can work for any employer that gives you a job offer meeting the above requirements^Footnote1
3. Your employer doesn’t need a labour market impact assessment to hire you
4. You can change employers without getting a new work permit or a new job offer
5. Your dependents are eligible to apply for an open work permit or a study permit

Work experience you need to support your permanent residence application Updated June 24, 2024

You now only need 6 months of eligible work experience from inside or outside Canada to qualify for permanent residence.

Your qualifying work experience must

1. Be in 1 of these NOCs (home child care provider or home support worker)
   • It can’t be a mix of both NOCs.
2. Match the NOC job description and you must have done most of the main duties listed
3. Have been gained anytime between the 36-month period before you submitted your permanent residence application and the date you provide proof of work experience
   • You have 36 months from the date we issued your occupation-restricted open work permit to provide your proof of work experience.
   • You don’t have to have worked 6 months in a row, just 6 months total within that period.
4. Be full-time work
   • Full-time means at least 30 hours of paid work each week.
   • Any week where you worked less than 30 hours doesn’t count.
   • Any work experience you had while you were a full-time student doesn’t count.
   • Canadian work experience must have been authorized under a work permit, under maintained status or a public policy.
   • Experience working for a business can also count. However, we’ll only issue you an initial occupation-restricted open work permit if you have a job offer that doesn’t come from a business. Find out the job offer requirements.

Make sure to keep any documents that show you have 6 months of work experience.

Send us proof of your work experience

Make sure you follow the instructions below to send us your proof to avoid any delays in finalizing your application.

Once you’re ready to provide us your proof of 6 months of qualifying work experience, you must

1. Complete the Schedule 19b: Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker – Work Experience form [IMM 5910] (PDF, 2.26 MB)
   • You can sign it digitally or by hand.
2. Send it to us with proof of your qualifying work experience

You must send us this proof no later than 36 months (3 years) after you get your work permit. We’ll make a final decision on your permanent residence application based on what you send. Review your documents carefully and make sure they’re complete before sending them.

Documents you need for your Canadian work experience

Send us a copy of the following documents to show that you have 6 months of work experience:

1. Your T4 tax information slips and your notice of assessment (NOA) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
   • When submitting your tax information, hide or cover your social insurance number (SIN) to protect your personal information.
2. Reference letters from your employer(s) with this information included:
   • The specific period you were employed (start and end dates)
   • Your position
   • A description of your main responsibilities and duties
   • Your job’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) code (if you know it)
   • Your total annual salary or hourly wage and benefits
   • The number of hours you worked per week
   • Your employer’s
     •  name and signature
     •  full address
     •  telephone number
     •  email address (if this applies)
     •  If your employer was a business, the reference letter should be printed on company letterhead and include the name, title and signature of your immediate supervisor or personnel officer.
3. Any Record of Employment (ROE) you were issued
   •  Your employer is required to provide an ROE to you if you stop working for them.

You can also include any pay stubs, work contracts or job offers.

Documents you need for your foreign work experience

Send us a copy of the following mandatory documents to show that you have 6 months of work experience:

1. reference letters from your employer(s) with this information included:
   • The specific period you were employed (start and end dates)
   • Your position
   • A description of your main responsibilities and duties
   • Your job’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) code (if you know it)
   • Your total annual salary or hourly wage and benefits
   • The number of hours you worked per week
   • Your employer’s
     • name and signature
     • full address
     • telephone number
     • email address (if this applies)
     • If your employer was a business, the reference letter should be printed on company letterhead and include the name, title and signature of your immediate supervisor or personnel officer.
2. Proof that you received payment for your work, such as
   • copies of bank deposits showing salary payments for the period of qualifying work experience
   • official tax statements
3. At least 1 or more of the following:
   • pay stubs
   • work contracts
   • job offers
   • any official documents you were issued when you stopped working for your employer (if this applies)

If you can’t provide a mandatory document, you must include a letter to explain why. Along with this letter, you must also include other relevant proof that you performed the eligible work, such as

1. Notarized statutory declarations (certified legal documents) about your work experience
2. Relevant written communications, such as emails, between you and your employer during the period you worked (with a system-generated timestamp).

Remember that it’s up to you to decide at which point during your application process you want to send us your proof of work experience, as long as it’s not more than 3 years after you get your occupation-restricted open work permit.

How to send us your proof of work experience

Send your proof through our web form. Given that the pilots aren’t in the list of programs, follow these steps:

1. Choose “No” when asked if your application is being processed by an office outside Canada.
2. Under Type of application/enquiry, choose “In-Canada Permanent Residence.”^Footnote2
3. Choose 1 of these options, depending on which pilot you applied to
   • “Caregiver: Caring for Children class” if you applied to the Home Child Care Provider Pilot
   • “Caregiver: Caring for people with high medical needs” if you applied to the Home Support Worker Pilot
4. Under Application number, make sure you provide your permanent residence application number (it starts with an E), and not your work permit number (starting with a W).
   • Your application number is written on the acknowledgement of receipt letter or the email we sent to notify you that we started processing your application.

Please use this naming convention when you save and send your documents: “Proof of experience – #”. For example: “Proof of experience – 1”.

The maximum file size is 2 MB. If a file is bigger than 2 MB, you need to reduce the file size. If you upload more than 1 file, the total maximum file size is 3.5 MB. We accept these file formats:

1. .pdf
2. .jpg or .tiff
3. .doc or .docx

After we receive proof of your work experience, we’ll make a final decision on your permanent residence based on

1. Whether your work experience meets the requirement
2. If you’re still admissible to Canada
   • You may have to take another medical exam and submit new police certificates.

Footnotes

1. Footnote 1
   • Except for one that:
     • Is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions or
     • Regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages
2. Footnote 2
   • If you already sent us documents and chose a different program under Type of application/enquiry, you don’t need to resend them. We’ll still get your documents and add them to your Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot application.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program embodies Canada’s commitment to supporting families, promoting economic prosperity, and welcoming skilled professionals from around the world. As a pioneering initiative in immigration and childcare policy, this program serves as a model for creating inclusive and sustainable solutions to meet the evolving needs of Canadian society.

For caregivers seeking rewarding career opportunities and a pathway to permanent residency, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program offers a promising and fulfilling journey towards building a brighter future in Canada.