Interim Pathway for Caregivers in Canada now open

From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

News release

Applicants encouraged to meet the June 4 deadline

March 15, 2019—Ottawa, ON – Caregivers who came to Canada to provide care to Canadian families, in the hope of eventually transitioning to becoming a permanent residents should apply to the Interim Pathway for Caregivers (IPC).

Caregivers who have been working in Canada temporarily but who have not qualified for any other current caregiver program are encouraged to review the criteria and begin working on their applications so that they don’t miss the June 4 deadline.

Criteria of the IPC include:

a valid work permit
1 year of work experience as a home childcare provider or home support worker, or a combination of experience in both occupations
a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark 5 level in reading, writing, listening and speaking in English or French
a foreign equivalent or Canadian high school diploma
If you can’t get your Educational Credential Assessment before the deadline, you must provide proof that you’ve applied to get one
If you can’t get your language test results in time before the deadline, you must show proof of an appointment to take the test along with the date

Applications for permanent residence through the IPC will be processed in 12 months and there is no cap on the number of caregivers, with their spouses/common-law partners and dependent children, who will be accepted.

Quotes

“Caregivers came to Canada to provide care to families that need it, and it’s time for Canada to care for them in return. To demonstrate our commitment, we are finally providing them and their family members the opportunity to apply to become permanent residents.”

– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts

In October 2017, there was a backlog of about 9,000 cases, representing 24,000 caregivers and their family members, in the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). We have reduced that backlog to only 495 cases, representing 2,655 people left to be processed, a reduction of close to 95 percent.
The processing time for new applications from those who were grandfathered into the LCP is 12 months instead of the peak of 60 months previously. Applications under the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots continue to be processed in 6 months or less.
In June 2019, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot will launch, replacing the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots. The new pilots will each have a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants, for a combined total of 5,500 principal applicants per year. Spouses/common-law partners and dependent children will not count against the limit.
Under the new pilots, in-home caregivers will get occupation-specific work permits, which will provide greater flexibility in changing jobs when necessary. Caregivers will also have more opportunity to bring their family with them to Canada, as their spouses/common-law partners will be eligible for an open work permit and their dependent children will be eligible for a study permit.