Caregiver pilot classes capped at 2,750

Summary#

These are ministerial instructions from the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Marco E. L. Mendicino, about how applications under the caregiver pilot classes will be handled. They put an annual cap of 2,750 applications for each of the Home Child Care Provider Class and the Home Support Worker Class, and they took effect on May 3, 2021.

What it does#

• Sets a yearly limit of 2,750 applications accepted for processing for the Home Child Care Provider Class.
• Sets a yearly limit of 2,750 applications accepted for processing for the Home Support Worker Class.
• Defines the calendar year for counting applications as January 1 to December 31.
• Counts applications in the order they are received; applications received after the class reaches 2,750 will not be accepted for processing.
• Only applications that meet the technical filing and completeness requirements will be entered into processing even if they count toward the cap.
• Applications that are not eligible for processing under these instructions will have their application and fees returned.
• Special rule for applications submitted between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020: those that were received in 2020 but not reviewed that year will not be processed under the pilot classes. Instead, they will be handled under a related temporary public policy unless the applicant tells the department within 30 days that they do not want that option; if they opt out, their application will be rejected and fees returned.
• Humanitarian and compassionate requests sent from outside Canada that accompany an application not accepted for processing under these instructions will not be processed.
• These instructions are issued under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, take effect May 3, 2021, and expire on June 17, 2024 unless revoked earlier.

Who's affected#

• People applying for permanent residence under the Home Child Care Provider Class and the Home Support Worker Class.
• Applicants who filed in 2020 but whose files were not reviewed that year — they will be redirected to a temporary public policy unless they opt out.
• The department officers who must accept or return applications based on the cap and completeness rules.

If the source is unclear: the notice explains how applications are counted and which ones will actually be entered into processing, but it does not detail the full completeness checklist — applicants should consult the official application kit for those requirements.

Why it matters#

• The caps limit how many caregiver-class applications the government will try to process each year. That affects how quickly some caregivers can move from temporary status to permanent residence.
• If you apply after a cap is reached, your application and fees will be returned — so timing matters.
• People who applied in 2020 and were not reviewed that year need to watch for the department’s notice and decide within 30 days whether to be processed under the temporary public policy or have their application rejected.