Home Care Worker Immigration Intake Limits

Summary#

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration published Ministerial Instructions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that set yearly intake limits, application rules, and eligibility requirements for the Home Care Worker Immigration (Child Care) and Home Care Worker Immigration (Home Support) classes. The Instructions take effect on March 31, 2025 and run until March 30, 2030; they also set processing rules for parents-and-grandparents sponsorships and allow up to 25,000 such sponsorship applications to be accepted for processing in 2025.

What it does#

• Caps for Home Care Worker (Child Care) class:
  • For the year March 31, 2025 to March 30, 2026: up to 2,610 applications may be processed; Stream A online 2,350, Stream A alternate 260, Stream B 0.
  • For the year March 31, 2026 to March 30, 2027: up to 2,750 processed; Stream A online 2,475, Stream A alternate 275, Stream B 0.
  • For each year March 31, 2027–March 30, 2028, March 31, 2028–March 30, 2029, and March 31, 2029–March 30, 2030: up to 2,750 processed each year; Stream A online 1,235, Stream A alternate 140, Stream B online 1,235, Stream B alternate 140.
• Caps for Home Care Worker (Home Support) class:
  • Mirrors the same yearly limits and stream breakdowns as the Child Care class (see numbers above).
• How applications are counted and handled:
  • Applications are counted toward the annual limit when received, even if they do not meet all requirements; however, only complete applications that meet certain regulatory requirements will be entered into processing.
  • Applications that arrive after the annual limit is reached will be returned with the fees.
  • Humanitarian and compassionate requests made from outside Canada that accompany an application not processed under these Instructions will not be processed.
• Eligibility and basic requirements (summary of the detailed rules in the Instructions):
  • Language: a language test less than 2 years old showing Canadian Language Benchmarks / Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens level 4 in each skill area.
  • Education: a Canadian credential, or a foreign credential plus an equivalency assessment less than 5 years old.
  • Work experience or training: at least 6 months of continuous full‑time work in an eligible occupation within the 3 years before applying, or at least 6 months of in-person full‑time training completed within 2 years before applying.
  • Job offer: a continuous full‑time, indeterminate offer from a Canadian employer (outside Quebec) with a Canada Revenue Agency business number; wage must meet collective‑agreement rates or provincial/national median prevailing wages.
  • Funds: applicants must show transferable, available funds equal to one‑half of the minimum necessary income for the applicant and their family.
  • The Instructions define eligible occupations and exclude certain types of experience (for example, work before age 18, self-employment, or work done while in full‑time study).
• Parents and grandparents sponsorship processing:
  • The Instructions allow processing of sponsorship applications received in 2024 and new ones received in 2025, and authorize a maximum of 25,000 such sponsorship applications to be accepted for processing in the 2025 calendar year.
  • Invitations to apply for sponsorship are being issued by randomized selection from non‑duplicate “interests to sponsor” submitted between October 13, 2020 and November 3, 2020.
  • Sponsorship and permanent resident visa applications must be submitted online (alternate formats are available for those who cannot apply online); invitations will include a deadline of at least 60 calendar days to submit applications, with a possible 30 calendar day extension to provide missing documents when requested.
  • Applications are processed in the order received; applications that do not meet the Instruction conditions will be returned.

Who's affected#

• Foreign nationals applying under the Home Care Worker Immigration (Child Care) and Home Care Worker Immigration (Home Support) classes (including both Stream A and Stream B applicants).
• Employers and private households in Canada (outside Quebec) who want to hire home care workers under these classes.
• People who submitted an “interest to sponsor” for parents or grandparents between October 13, 2020 and November 3, 2020, potential sponsors who are invited to apply, and applicants/sponsors preparing submissions in 2024 or 2025.
• Immigration representatives who help prepare or submit these applications.
• It is clear who is affected by the caps and the online‑application requirement; the Instructions also make clear that some streams are limited or closed in the first two years, so eligibility timing matters.

Why it matters#

• Supply limit: these Instructions set hard annual ceilings on how many home‑care worker applications will be processed each year. If you plan to apply, meeting the submission windows and completeness rules matters — late or incomplete applications can be returned.
• Work and job offers matter: applicants generally need recent, paid, full‑time experience or equivalent training and a qualifying job offer that meets wage and employer rules. That affects both migrant workers and Canadian households/businesses trying to recruit them.
• Parents and grandparents: people who hoped to sponsor parents or grandparents need to know that only up to 25,000 sponsorship applications will be accepted for processing in 2025, and that selection is tied to the randomized invitations from interests filed in 2020.
• Administrative details have real effects: the online application requirement, specific deadlines (at least 60 calendar days), and the rule that humanitarian and compassionate requests from outside Canada won’t be processed if the main application isn’t accepted are all practical rules applicants must follow.