Work permits for caregiver pathways – Temporary Foreign Worker Program and International Mobility Program

IRCC implemented several different pathways for caregivers after the zero cap on the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) was imposed on November 30, 2014. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) were subsequently changed to remove the LCP.

This page provides a brief overview of the different work permits available for each pathway. For a quick reference, refer to the Caregiver temporary residence programs comparison table (PDF, 282 KB).

On this page

Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot (June 18, 2019 to June 17, 2024)

On June 18, 2019, ministerial instructions (MIs) were issued to create 2 new permanent residence pilots for caregivers. The MIs were changed on April 30, 2023. The pilots are

  • the Home Child Care Provider Pilot (HCCPP)
  • the Home Support Worker Pilot (HSWP)

The pilots are only for the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:

Before November 16, 2022

  • HCCPP: NOC 4411
  • HSWP: NOC 4412

November 16, 2022 and after

  • HCCPP: NOC 44100
  • HSWP: NOC 44101

The permanent residence requirements for the 2 permanent residence pilots are assessed upfront, except for the eligible Canadian work experience, unless the applicant has already acquired it.

Applicants who do not have the work experience are issued an occupation-restricted open employer work permit under paragraph 205(a) of the IRPR (administrative code C90). The work permit allows applicants to work for any employer under NOC code 4411 or 4412 (NOC 2016) or NOC 44100 or 44101 (NOC 2021).

Applicants who receive an approval in principle on their permanent residence application under the caregiver pilots are eligible to apply for a bridging open work permit.

For instructions:

Interim Pathway for Caregivers (March 4 to October 8, 2019)

The public policy under section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the Interim Pathway for Caregivers permanent resident program was only valid from March 4 to June 4, 2019, and then from July 8 to October 8, 2019. It is now closed to new applications.

Applicants who have received a positive eligibility assessment of their application for permanent residence under the Interim Pathway for Caregivers public policy are eligible for an open work permit under paragraph R207(d) (Labour Market Impact Assessment [LMIA] exemption code A70).

For instructions:

Caring for children pilot and caring for people with high medical needs pilot (November 30, 2014, to June 17, 2019)

The caring for children and caring for people with high medical needs classes are 2 economic pilot programs targeted to foreign nationals who have had at least 2 years of full-time Canadian work experience in an eligible caregiver occupation, and who meet the minimum education and language proficiency requirements.

The program was implemented through MIs issued on November 30, 2014.

Permanent residence applicants in these pilots may be eligible for a bridging open work permit under paragraph R205(a) (LMIA exemption code A75).

For instructions:

Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) before November 30, 2014

Given that one of the permanent residence requirements, under the repealed section R113 was for live-in caregivers to obtain their work experience within the 4 years immediately following their entry to Canada, the total duration of all LCP work permits (added together) should not exceed 4 years and 3 months. All LCP work permit holders should now have met their 4-year cap and must have applied for permanent residence to obtain an open work permit under LMIA exemption code A71.

The 4-year cap does not include open work permits issued for live-in caregivers who currently have an LCP permanent residence application in processing under LMIA exemption code A71.

Note: If the live-in caregiver has reached the limit and is applying for an extension or a new work permit under the program, the Case Processing Centre in Edmonton should refer the case to the relevant IRCC local office for further assessment as per section 8, Chapter 4 of the Inland Processing (IP) manual.

Officers should confirm that

  • the LMIA was issued for 6474 (NOC 2006) or 4411 (NOC 2011/2016)
  • the live-in requirement is met
  • the initial LCP work permit was issued based on an LMIA received on or before November 30, 2014
  • less than 4 years and 3 months have elapsed since the initial LCP work permit was issued

In these circumstances, the officer should use the special program code “LCP” when issuing work permit renewals, with “Case Type” code 57.

These applications for renewal must continue to be processed against the criteria listed in the repealed section R112.

Foreign nationals who have submitted an application for permanent residence under the LCP may be eligible for an open work permit under LMIA exemption code A71.

Find more information on how to determine the receipt date for an LMIA.

Work permit applications under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) without a pathway to permanent residence

Note: The instructions in this section also apply to LMIA-required work permit applications received on or after June 18, 2019.

Since November 30, 2014, foreign nationals who have job offers and LMIAs for in-home caregiving occupations (live-in and live-out) have had their work permits assessed and processed as part of the general temporary foreign worker stream.

MIs implemented on June 18, 2019, and revised on April 22, 2022, instruct officers to refuse to process work permit applications received under the TFWP for caregiver occupations in specific circumstances.

The revised MIs

  • clarify that the refusal to process work permit applications for the specific occupations (NOC 4411 and 4412 [NOC 2016]) or NOC 44100 or 44101 [NOC 2021] – home child care workers and home support workers) includes applications submitted at ports of entry
  • prevent foreign nationals currently not authorized to work or study (whether they are physically within or outside Canada) from obtaining a new caregiver work permit under the TFWP unless they are exempt

For instructions:

In-home caregivers who have an approved employer for LMIA applications submitted to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on or after November 30, 2014, and who are not impacted by the refusal to process implemented by the MIs on June 18, 2019, and revised on April 22, 2022, may be eligible to obtain a work permit under the TFWP.

Foreign nationals who are not impacted by the refusal to process are named in an approved LMIA submitted to ESDC after June 18, 2019, and

  • are in Canada with a job offer located anywhere in Canada and are renewing a work permit with a caregiver occupation or
  • are in or outside Canada with a job offer located in Quebec for a caregiver occupation

In these circumstances, officers must use the

  • special program code: LSP (do not use LCP)
  • case type: code 53

Page details

Date modified: