In a surprise holiday-season move, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has stopped accepting any new applications under its two Home-Care Worker pilots, programs that give caregivers a direct pathway to permanent residence. The decision, announced on December 26, comes only six years after the pilots were launched to tackle chronic shortages in elder-care and childcare occupations.
IRCC says applications already in the system far exceed the 9,000-place cap set in the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan. Officials acknowledged that processing times had stretched well beyond the advertised 12-month service standard, creating uncertainty for employers and foreign workers alike. By pausing intake, the department hopes to clear the backlog and “bring immigration back to sustainable levels.”
The halt highlights a tension in Canada’s immigration strategy: aggressive global recruitment to fill labour gaps versus finite operational capacity. Home-care agencies in Toronto and Vancouver warned that families may turn to underground labour or look offshore for live-in help, while worker-advocacy groups fear that applicants who miss the window could fall into temporary-status limbo.
![Canada Freezes Home-Care Worker Immigration Pilot Intake Amid Soaring Demand]()
In the meantime, families and prospective caregivers can turn to VisaHQ’s Canada portal for guidance on temporary resident visas, work permits, and document preparation. The service, available at https://www.visahq.com/canada/, streamlines form completion, tracks requirements in real time, and connects users with experienced support staff—helpful tools while permanent pathways remain in flux.
Corporate mobility teams should revisit talent-supply assumptions for caregiving roles. Companies that offer executive-relocation packages including elder-care or special-needs support may need to source private agencies or negotiate extended family-leave benefits until IRCC reopens the pilot or unveils an alternative pathway. Employers are also advised to monitor for future category-based Express Entry draws that could prioritise caregiving experience.
For foreign nationals who have already filed, legal counsel recommends maintaining valid work status and preparing supplementary documents in anticipation of IRCC requests as files are triaged. IRCC has promised public updates but gave no timeline for reopening, making 2026 workforce-planning more complex for household-services providers.
IRCC says applications already in the system far exceed the 9,000-place cap set in the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan. Officials acknowledged that processing times had stretched well beyond the advertised 12-month service standard, creating uncertainty for employers and foreign workers alike. By pausing intake, the department hopes to clear the backlog and “bring immigration back to sustainable levels.”
The halt highlights a tension in Canada’s immigration strategy: aggressive global recruitment to fill labour gaps versus finite operational capacity. Home-care agencies in Toronto and Vancouver warned that families may turn to underground labour or look offshore for live-in help, while worker-advocacy groups fear that applicants who miss the window could fall into temporary-status limbo.
In the meantime, families and prospective caregivers can turn to VisaHQ’s Canada portal for guidance on temporary resident visas, work permits, and document preparation. The service, available at https://www.visahq.com/canada/, streamlines form completion, tracks requirements in real time, and connects users with experienced support staff—helpful tools while permanent pathways remain in flux.
Corporate mobility teams should revisit talent-supply assumptions for caregiving roles. Companies that offer executive-relocation packages including elder-care or special-needs support may need to source private agencies or negotiate extended family-leave benefits until IRCC reopens the pilot or unveils an alternative pathway. Employers are also advised to monitor for future category-based Express Entry draws that could prioritise caregiving experience.
For foreign nationals who have already filed, legal counsel recommends maintaining valid work status and preparing supplementary documents in anticipation of IRCC requests as files are triaged. IRCC has promised public updates but gave no timeline for reopening, making 2026 workforce-planning more complex for household-services providers.
