Program delivery update: Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

December 9, 2025

On June 16, 2024, the ministerial instructions were amended, mainly to:

• reduce the work experience requirement from 12 months to 6 months
• for the Gaining experience category:
  • accept work experience gained outside of Canada
  • accept work experience gained up to 36 months before the application is made, until the date that the applicant demonstrates having acquired the work experience
  • clarify that applicants have only 1 opportunity to submit their work experience to IRCC for decision on their permanent residence application

These amendments apply to pending applications.

The first update was published on June 24, 2024, and this completes the updates of the program delivery instructions to reflect those changes.

Other adjustments are also being made to

• reflect that the pilots are closed
• add instructions related to educational credential assessments where the foreign credential is equivalent to a number of years of study, instead of a completed Canadian credential
• clarify that work performed as a caregiver in Canada is considered unauthorized if the work permit remarks indicate that the holder is not authorized to work in child care or health services field occupations
• clarify that while businesses are not eligible employers for the job offer requirement, experience working for a business may be counted as qualifying experience
• reflect that part-time work may only count when concurrent part-time jobs add up to at least 30 hours per week
• create a section on assessing work experience
• provide guidance related to the status of the employer and the person receiving care
• indicate the process when a job offer is no longer valid
• add instructions on considerations regarding the financial information supporting the employer’s ability to pay the caregiver’s salary
• specify the GCMS processes, including the clarification that for Category A (Gaining experience) files, the “Eligibility – Stage 1” status should not be set to “passed” if the admissibility assessment is not yet complete
• create a new section providing a detailed process for Category A cases where the proof of experience is received before the occupation-restricted open work permit (OROWP) has been approved, to clarify:
  • that the exemption related to the job offer assessment only applies if the entirety of the experience was gained in Canada
  • the factors to consider for how to handle the OROWP application
• make minor corrections in the application finalization process
• reflect the change of name from the International Network to the International Platform Branch

Updated instructions

• Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot (index)
• Application process and who can apply
• Completeness check upon receipt
• Assessing the application against selection criteria
• Admissibility
• Making a final decision
• Job aid – Integrated Ministerial Instructions
• Terms and definitions related to permanent residence