Home Support Worker Pilot

About the program

Launched on 18 June 2019 at the same time with the Home Child-Care Provider Pilot, this economic pilot as a part of the caregiver program is a replacement for the Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilot which will expire in this year November 29th. The IRCC’s limit for this pilot is 2750 complete applications to be approved. The 5-year pilot will be the pathway for Home Support Workers and their family members to be granted the Permanent Residency (PR). During the time waiting to meet the requirements, not only the main applicant but also their accompanying family members (includes spouse and dependent children) will be able to obtain the work permit or the study permit. 

Either application submitted from inside or outside Canada would be received as long as it meets the requirements. 

Eligibility

To caregivers who are interested in the pilot, here are the criteria that you need to pay attention to. Let’s dig in to figure out each criterion!

1. Have Canadian work experience per the job description of NOC.

According to the NOC 4412 for Home Support Worker, your main responsibilities in your work must be

• Provide service to someone needs help from a home support worker in your own home or your employer’s home
• Don’t need to reside in your employer’s home
• Housekeeper won’t be eligible

By the time you submit your application, your experience as an attendant for persons with disabilities – home care, family caregiver, home support worker, housekeeper, live-in caregiver – seniors, personal aide – home support, personal care attendant – home care or respite worker – home support can be considered qualifying work experience.

If you have 24 months or more of qualifying work experience:

You will be able to obtain a bridging work permit while waiting for your Application of Permanent Residence (APR) 

Only fulltime experience solely in authorized work matches with the job description of the NOC in the last 36 months since the submitting date will be calculated. This means you perform work for 30 paid hours per week. Self-employment won’t be accepted. If you working while still a fulltime student, your experience won’t be counted as well.

The working period doesn’t need to be continuous but only reasonable periods of vacation time will be accepted. During those 24 months, there should not be any extended absence from Canada, periods of unemployment, prolonged sickness or parental leave.

If you have under 24 months of qualifying work experience:

Prove to the IRCC that you receive a genuine job offer (the job’s duties would also need to match with the NOC descriptions) and you can deliver the job.

The job offer must be:

• Not a seasonal vacancy and the applicant will be able to start working once they receive the initial occupation-restricted open work permit
• For a home support worker position outside the province of Quebec
• From a Canadian employer who is not an embassy, high commission or consulate. The employer can be more than one person but there must constitute one employer as one CRA business number

The processing officer will assess the offer’s authenticity base on these factors:

• There is an actual need (job vacancy) for a caregiver, specifically a home support worker
• The salary is aligned with the general salary in the province where you will work.
• The employer has the financial ability to pay the salary as stated in the job offer
• Reasonable accommodations are provided if there is any live-in arrangement.

Your ability to perform the job will be assessed on your experience or training for the job with the same duties as a home support worker.

If you apply while working as a caregiver as the validation of your current work permit, your experience won’t be counted for Home Support Worker. Before you reach the 24 months of experience as the criteria, you will obtain an occupation-restricted open work permit which allows you to work as a caregiver for any employer. However, your employer shouldn’t be listed on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions; regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.

While working to meet the requirement, your working period should not have any extended absence from Canada, periods of unemployment, prolonged sickness or parental leave.

Unlike the previous Caring for People with High Medical Needs Pilot, the work permit you will be granted is no longer the employer-specific work permit but the occupation-specific work permit. This means you can work for any employer as long as you still work in the specific occupation as the pilot requires you. The changes will improve work conditions and decrease abuse for the caregiver in compare to the previous pilot. The employer would no longer need to get an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) before employing a foreign caregiver like before.  

2. Meet the education standards

The IRCC requires you to have at least 1 year for completed post-secondary education in Canada or you will need to get a foreign ECA report (Education Credential Assessment) to prove you meet the equivalent standard. 

3. Meet the required level of language

Prove with a language test result that you meet the minimum requirement of IRCC for whether English or French skills. Particularly, your 4 language skills must be equivalent to CLB 5 for English or NLCL 5 for French.

Your test results need to be within 2 years. Approved language tests are CELPIP and IELTS for English, TCF Canada and TEF Canada for French.

4. Be admissible to Canada

Make sure you do not fall into one of these situations that are listed on the link below. If you are then you can also check on the solutions recommended by the government: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/inadmissibility.html

5. Intention live in any province or territory but Quebec

Document checklist

You can use this link below to download a document checklist made by the IRCC to know well about every type of paper and forms which are required. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/documents/pdf/english/kits/forms/imm5981e.pdf

For applicants who want to apply onshore, you must be currently in Canada and 

• have a valid study or work permit, are on implied status or eligible for restoration
• your spouse, common-law partner or parents have a valid study or work permit
• you’ve graduated from a program at a:
  • Canadian university
  • community college
  • CÉGEP
  • publicly funded trade/technical school, or
  • other eligible schools
• you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for 6 months or more
• you’re allowed to work in Canada without a work permit but you need a work permit to work in a different job

Note: You will need to install the latest version of Adobe Reader to open this and other PDF files on your computer. All the file was customed to be capable of fill-out by using Adobe Reader. The authority also encourages you to complete the forms electronically.

Step-to-step instruction

It would be very easy to accomplish these steps if you are truly qualified, however, you better be careful because a small mistake can cause you a huge problem. 

Step 1: Check your eligibility

Can your current state satisfy all the requirements above? If it’s a “Yes” then make your way to the next step.

Step 2: Collect the documents

With the requirements we have listed above, if you find yourself a qualified candidate then you can start the second step: collect the documents.

Here are a few reminders for this step

• The document checklist:

It’s notice-worthy that you have to read the checklist carefully to ensure that none of the required documents are missed or unqualified because it would eventually make the CPC return your application. They would also contact you for more information during the processing time. Additionally, This checklist must be attached to your application when sending it to the CPC (Case Processing Centre) in Edmonton.

• Copies and translation of original documents:

Documents (include personal documents) which originally are not in French or English must be translated by a certificated translator from a third party. When submitting the certificated copies of these documents, you would need to attach its French or English translation, the translator’s affidavit. The affidavit must be sworn in the presence of a notary public.

• The accompanying applicants work permit or study permit

Principal applicant’s spouse, partner, and dependents, if want to submit for a work permit or study permit, would fill out the form individually and submit the application along with the principal application.

• The language test

You can book a test with an accredited test center in your area and pay the fee to settle a test. After receiving the result in a paper, keep its copies for future use and send the original test result along with the application. 

• Proof for education level

For applicants have post-secondary study in Canada, submit your completed educational credential. Applicants obtain at least one-year of post-secondary study and have a foreign educational credential, you can reach an organization on the list below to figure out which one is suitable for you. There will be differences in processing time, required documents and cost between them. After selecting, you can contact them and follow their instructions.

The IRCC will only accept your ECA report if it was issued in less than 5 years.

• • Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
  • International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
  • World Education Services
  • International Qualifications Assessment Service
  • International Credential Evaluation Service
• Proof of work experience

You need to submit these three key documents together with your permanent residence application

• • The job offer: using the form Offer of Employment form [IMM 5983]. Your employer must complete this form and send you a copy to include with your application. Your employer and you must read and sign the declaration at the bottom of the form
  • The work permit application
  • Proof of work experience (If you have sufficient 24 months of experience followed by the criteria about work of the NOC) or proof of ability to perform work.

Notes: If you already have 24 months of qualifying work experience, you also need to complete and send the Schedule 19b. If you don’t have enough and receive an occupation-restricted open work permit for people with less than 24 months of experience, wait until you meet the requirement and then send this schedule 19b along with your proof of work experience as a subsequence to the application.

• Receipt of payments

After making the payment online, submit the receipts with your application. 

Step 3: Fill the forms

All the forms must have the applicant’s signature and only original copies will be accepted

Step 4: Make the payment

The following list will help you calculate the fee you would need to pay the IRCC (not include other fees from third parties)

• Processing fee for you/your spouse or partner $550 CAD
• Right of permanent residence fee (Your dependent child won’t need to pay for this) $490 CAD
• Dependent Child $150 CAD
• Biometric fees $85 CAD/person and $170 CAD for a family from 2 person
• Work permit fee $155 CAD
• open work permit holder fee $100 CAD
• Study permit $150 CAD

The fees for services from third parties may including medical exams (You don’t need to do this unless the IRCC requests you), police certificates, translator’s fee, ECA reports, language assessment,…

 Step 5: Submit your application

Mail your application in a stamped envelope to the address below:

Case Processing Centre in Edmonton
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada
c/o PR (CG), Station 805
9700 Jasper Avenue NW, Suite 55
Edmonton, AB T5J 4C3

Make sure that you have clicked the validated button on the Generic Application Form for Canada IMM 0008 before printing. Print all the pages, including the barcode page. The documents checklist must be attached to the application as well.

After you have submitted the application, if there is any change in your information or family, you need to inform the IRCC with that. You will also receive a biometric instruction letter to let you know where to do the biometrics and submit it later.

For applicants without 24 months of experience: Your proof of work experience and a complete Schedule 19b would need to be submitted to this address as well by the time you have to meet the criteria.

After you apply

Your application’s status will be updated on this link once it has been processing by the IRCC.

https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/introduction.do?app=ecas

When you have been approved for the Permanent Residency (PR), IRCC will contact you for a short interview.

Your work permit will be sent directly to your address once it was approved if you submitted from within Canada. On the other hand, a letter of approval will be sent to you so you can bring it with you when you move to Canada. Once you arrive, tell the Border Service Officer (BSO) about your immigrate purpose. Remember to answer truthfully to convince the BSO that you’re eligible to move to Canada.

Delay may happen if you need to have additional background checks or have changes in your family situation. In cases such as your application is incomplete or the IRCC has granted the maximum complete application, your application will be returned with the processing fees.

If you apply for a permanent residence, the standard processing time will be around 6 months (for applicant meets work experience requirements). For those who apply for the work permit, approximately 12 months is the standard processing time according to the IRCC.