IRCC to Reduce the Work Experience Requirement for Caregiver Pilot Programs in Canada

Salma Zahid and Rechie Valdez, Members of Parliament, declared that the required work experience to be eligible for permanent residency in the case of applicants in the caregiver industry is being reduced to half. Before now, the applicants applying for Canada’s caregiver pilot programs must have 24 months of Canadian work experience, which now has come down to 12 months. Although this transition will be effective from April 30, 2023, it will also apply to those candidates who have already submitted their applications. 

At the same time, IRCC has reserved some places within the caregiver programs so that caregivers with Canadian work experience and earlier work permits can be provided the opportunity to apply for permanent residence. According to IRCC, around 90% of the applicants will be impacted by this recent change. The caregiver pilot programs were started in 2019 and are planned to expire in June 2024. The immigration record states that around 1,600 applicants with their families were provided PR status through these programs. 

Other requirements for these pilot programs, however, remain unchanged. For the language capacities, the candidate must score a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5. They must have one year of post-secondary education in Canada or equivalent education in a foreign country. They also must go through an admissibility check, including health, criminality, and security. For work experience, the  National Occupational Classification (NOC) code should be either 4411 or 4412. The candidate’s work experience must match the job description in the NOC. Any paid work of more than 30 hours a week can be considered full-time. 

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Aishani Pande

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