Canada closes pathway to permanent residence for caregivers outside Canada

The “applicants not working in Canada” stream of Canada’s Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP) is now closed, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) official website.

At the inception of the HCWP, both the Home Support and Child Care options for these pilots were to feature an intake for applicants not currently in Canada, with more information promised at a later date.

The stream on IRCC’s website was listed as “closed” on September 29, 2025, without ever having opened to applications.

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Other immigration options for caregivers outside Canada

Caregivers outside Canada still have other options to immigrate to the country in 2025.

For workers who fall under National Occupation Classification (NOC) 33102— Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates—immigration through Express Entry remains a viable pathway, as these professionals are among those eligible for category-based selection through the Healthcare and social services category.

The most recent Express Entry healthcare draw had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 470.

For other professionals who would have been eligible under the HCWP, many Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) continue to consider candidates under home care worker NOC codes.

Some PNP streams that continue to invite caregiver professionals eligible under the HCWP include the

• Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) Skilled Worker Overseas stream;
• Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream;
• New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) Priority Occupations stream*; and
• Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) Skilled Worker category.

*The NBPNP Priority Occupations stream only invites NOC codes 33102, 44101, and 42202. NOC code 44100 (Home child care providers) is not eligible under this stream.

Why has IRCC chosen to close international intake for the HCWP?

While the immigration department has offered no reason for the closure of the “applicants not working in Canada” stream, figures provided in IRCC’s most recent Minister Transition Binder suggest that the closure may be due to a large existing inventory of applications.

As of September 11, 2025, IRCC had an inventory of 34,400 applications among its caregiver pilots (this number encompasses not just applications under the HCWP, but also those from previously operational caregiver pilots such as the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot).

The department indicates in the transition binder that it plans on processing only 14% (4,816 applications) of these applications in 2025. From January 1 to September 11, 2025, 4,200 new permanent residents have already landed in Canada through the caregiver pilots, meaning IRCC intends to process roughly 600 more applications this year (not accounting for those that may be refused due to ineligibility).

The current inventory far outweighs IRCC’s anticipated admissions through these streams. Per previous announcements, IRCC planned to welcome 2,750 new permanent residents through the HCWP’s in-Canada intake.

Per the Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC’s admissions levels for all economic federal pilots stand at 10,920 new PRs for 2025.

This allocation includes not just successful principal applicants, but also any accompanying dependents that they wish to bring with them to Canada, and is shared between

• The Agri-Food pilot;
• The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot;
• The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)
• The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP); and
• The Caregiver pilots.

Another possible reason for the closure of the international intake of the HCWP is IRCC's focus on transitioning temporary residents already in Canada to permanent residence (PR), as seen in the prioritization of Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws under Express Entry, and the mandate to the provinces that 75% of provincial nominations be given to candidates already in Canada.

See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams