Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced it will suspend intake for both Home Child-Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilot programs after 31 March 2026, citing overwhelming demand and a need to process existing files. The decision, published in ministerial instructions and confirmed on 21 December, means caregivers without an application in the system will lose this pathway to permanent residence for at least four years.
Introduced in 2025, the pilots each offered 2,750 spots annually and hit their caps within hours of opening. IRCC says the pause will “prevent further inventory growth” while officials evaluate longer-term caregiver immigration policy. Existing applications will continue to be processed against current targets in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
For Canadian families who rely on foreign caregivers, the pause narrows hiring options. They must now use temporary work-permit routes such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s caregiver stream, which involves labour-market impact assessments (LMIAs) and longer processing timelines.
![IRCC Pauses Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots, No New Applications After March 2026]()
For applicants who find the shifting rules confusing, VisaHQ can help streamline the process. Through its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the platform offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists, and real-time status tracking for work permits and visas—supporting both families that need caregivers and workers exploring alternative immigration pathways.
Caregivers already in Canada awaiting permanent residence are advised to maintain status by extending open work permits well in advance of expiry. Immigration consultants also recommend exploring provincial nominee options—Ontario, for example, runs an in-demand skills stream that includes NOC 44101 (home support workers).
IRCC has hinted at a redesigned caregiver pathway that would “better balance labour demand and immigration sustainability,” but no details are expected until late 2026.
Introduced in 2025, the pilots each offered 2,750 spots annually and hit their caps within hours of opening. IRCC says the pause will “prevent further inventory growth” while officials evaluate longer-term caregiver immigration policy. Existing applications will continue to be processed against current targets in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
For Canadian families who rely on foreign caregivers, the pause narrows hiring options. They must now use temporary work-permit routes such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s caregiver stream, which involves labour-market impact assessments (LMIAs) and longer processing timelines.
For applicants who find the shifting rules confusing, VisaHQ can help streamline the process. Through its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the platform offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists, and real-time status tracking for work permits and visas—supporting both families that need caregivers and workers exploring alternative immigration pathways.
Caregivers already in Canada awaiting permanent residence are advised to maintain status by extending open work permits well in advance of expiry. Immigration consultants also recommend exploring provincial nominee options—Ontario, for example, runs an in-demand skills stream that includes NOC 44101 (home support workers).
IRCC has hinted at a redesigned caregiver pathway that would “better balance labour demand and immigration sustainability,” but no details are expected until late 2026.
