Home Child Care Provider Pilot (Closed): NOC 44100 Eligibility, Categories, Process & Current Alternatives
Canada's closed 5-year federal pilot for caregivers working as Home Child Care Providers. Ended June 17, 2024. IRCC continues to process applications received on or before the closing date.
Closed since Jun 2024
N/A — closed
Permanent (for approved)
Home Child Care Provider Pilot ended on June 17, 2024
IRCC stopped accepting new Home Child Care Provider Pilot applications on June 17, 2024. The successor Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots launched in 2025 are also currently closed. Applications received on or before June 17, 2024 continue to be processed under the original pilot rules.
Already applied? Sign in to your Permanent Residence Portal account to check application status. Gaining Experience category applicants should continue to accumulate qualifying Canadian work experience and submit proof through the Portal when complete.
Currently open pathways to Canadian permanent residence
These programs remain active in 2026 and may suit applicants who were considering Home Child Care Provider Pilot.
Canadian Experience Class (Express Entry)
For caregivers with 1+ years of TEER 0-3 Canadian work experience.
Provincial Nominee Program
Several provinces operate caregiver, health, and home-care nominee streams.
Rural Community Immigration Pilot
Community-endorsed PR pathway open to caregiving occupations in designated rural communities.
Atlantic Immigration Program
Employer-driven PR pathway in the four Atlantic provinces.
Home Child Care Provider Pilot was a 5-year federal immigration pilot that let qualified caregivers and their family members come to Canada with the goal of becoming permanent residents. The pilot specifically served caregivers working under NOC 44100 — Home Child Care Provider, providing child care in the employer's or the caregiver's own home. The application process varied based on how much qualifying Canadian work experience the applicant had, through two distinct categories: Gaining Experience and Direct to Permanent Residence. The pilot ended on June 17, 2024, and IRCC no longer accepts new Home Child Care Provider Pilot applications. Complete applications submitted on or before the closing date continue to be processed under the original pilot rules.
The pilot required at least CLB 5 language ability, a Canadian one-year post-secondary credential or foreign equivalent with an Educational Credential Assessment, and a qualifying full-time job offer from a Canadian employer in the home child care field. Caregivers in the Gaining Experience category received a 3-year occupation-specific work permit to accumulate 12 months of full-time Canadian child care experience before submitting proof for permanent residence. Caregivers in the Direct to Permanent Residence category applied with their 12+ months of experience already completed. This page preserves the program details for applicants with in-flight files and for caregivers mapping their options against currently open federal pathways.
Eligibility
Who can apply for Home Child Care Provider Pilot?
- Applicants with a qualifying job offer to work full-time in Canada as a Home Child Care Provider under NOC 44100
- Applicants with Canadian work experience providing home child care, either in the employer's home or in the caregiver's own home (excluding foster parent duties)
- Applicants who met the minimum language requirement of CLB 5 or NCLC 5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking
- Applicants with a Canadian post-secondary credential of at least 1 year, or a foreign equivalent assessed through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organization
- Applicants admissible to Canada (no criminal, security, medical, or misrepresentation issues)
- Applicants in the Gaining Experience category who needed time to accumulate 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience on an occupation-specific work permit
- Applicants in the Direct to Permanent Residence category who already had 12+ months of qualifying full-time Canadian child care work experience at the time of application
- Accompanying spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children (spouses were eligible for open work permits; children for study permits)
These eligibility criteria describe the pilot at the time of closure. They apply to applications received on or before June 17, 2024. No new applications are being accepted.
Requirements
What are the requirements and key details of Home Child Care Provider Pilot?
- Program Status: Closed to new applications since June 17, 2024. IRCC continues to process applications received on or before that date.
- Program Duration: 5-year pilot that ran from 2019 to 2024
- Visa Type: Permanent Residence (via caregiver-specific pilot)
- Eligible NOC Code: NOC 44100 — Home Child Care Provider
- Occupation Duties: Providing child care in the employer's home or the caregiver's own home (foster parents are not eligible)
- Application Category 1: Gaining Experience — for caregivers who needed to accumulate 12 months of qualifying Canadian work experience; received a 3-year occupation-specific work permit
- Application Category 2: Direct to Permanent Residence — for caregivers who already had 12+ months of qualifying full-time Canadian work experience at the time of PR application
- Work Experience Requirement: At least 12 months of full-time, qualifying Canadian work experience under NOC 44100 within 36 months before submitting proof (Gaining Experience) or before PR application (Direct)
- Language Test Required: IELTS General Training, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada
- Minimum Language Score: CLB 5 / NCLC 5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking
- Education Requirement: Canadian post-secondary credential of at least 1 year, OR foreign equivalent with ECA from a designated organization
- Job Offer Requirement: Required — full-time, genuine, in Canada (outside Quebec) for NOC 44100 duties
- Admissibility Requirement: Must be admissible to Canada — no criminal, security, medical, or misrepresentation grounds
- Medical Exam Required: Yes — by an IRCC-approved panel physician
- Police Clearance Required: Yes — from every country lived in 6+ months since age 18
- Biometrics Required: Yes — fingerprints and photograph at a designated collection centre
- Federal Government Fee (historical): CAD 950 processing + CAD 575 RPRF per adult; CAD 260 per dependent child (rates in effect before closure)
- Biometrics Fee (historical): CAD 85 individual; CAD 170 family
- Spouse Benefits: Open work permit for spouse or common-law partner during PR processing
- Children Benefits: Study permit for dependent children during PR processing
- Leads to PR: Yes (pilot was a direct or staged PR pathway)
- Leads to Citizenship: Yes (3 years of physical presence in 5 years after PR)
- Application Mode: Online through IRCC Permanent Residence Portal
- Province Specific: No, but job offer had to be for employment outside Quebec
- Official Source URL: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/caregivers/child-care-home-support-worker.html
Documents
What are the documents required for Home Child Care Provider Pilot?
- Valid passport and travel documents for all applicants and accompanying family members
- Full-time job offer letter from a Canadian employer to work as a Home Child Care Provider (NOC 44100) in Canada outside Quebec
- Employer reference letters confirming 12 months of qualifying full-time Canadian caregiving work experience under NOC 44100 (for Direct to PR category, or when submitting proof under Gaining Experience category)
- T4 slips, pay stubs, and Notice of Assessment covering the qualifying work experience period
- Language test results (IELTS General Training, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada) demonstrating CLB 5 / NCLC 5 in all four abilities, less than 2 years old
- Canadian post-secondary credential of at least 1 year, OR foreign educational credential with an ECA report from a designated organization
- Occupation-specific work permit (Gaining Experience category) or authorized work permit covering the experience period (Direct to PR category)
- Proof of legal status in Canada during qualifying work experience (Gaining Experience category must have maintained status)
- Medical examination results from an IRCC-approved panel physician
- Police clearance certificates from every country lived in 6+ months since age 18
- Biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) at a designated collection centre
- Proof of relationship for spouse, common-law partner, or dependent children (marriage certificate, birth certificates)
- Supporting evidence of genuine relationship to children cared for (logs, employer letters confirming duties)
Application Process
How the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Worked (Historical Process)
Determine Which Category Applied
Applicants first determined whether they had 12+ months of qualifying Canadian child care work experience (Direct to Permanent Residence category) or whether they needed to come to Canada first and accumulate the experience (Gaining Experience category). Each category had separate submission paths and document requirements.
Meet Language and Education Requirements
All applicants needed CLB 5 / NCLC 5 language scores from an IRCC-approved test, and either a Canadian one-year post-secondary credential or a foreign equivalent assessed by a designated ECA organization. Language results had to be less than 2 years old on application date.
Secure a Qualifying Job Offer
Applicants needed a genuine, full-time job offer from a Canadian employer to work as a Home Child Care Provider under NOC 44100, outside Quebec. The job offer had to be documented with standard IRCC offer-of-employment forms and employer verification.
Submit PR Application (Both Categories)
Both categories started with a PR application submitted before June 17, 2024. Direct to PR applicants included proof of completed 12+ months of work experience. Gaining Experience applicants initially submitted without the experience and, once IRCC approved the category, received a 3-year occupation-specific work permit to begin accumulating experience in Canada.
Gaining Experience: Arrive in Canada and Work on Occupation-Specific Permit
Gaining Experience category applicants arrived in Canada, began working under their occupation-specific work permit, and accumulated 12 months of full-time qualifying Canadian child care experience. Only full-time work under NOC 44100 counted toward the 12-month requirement.
Submit Proof of Experience (Gaining Experience Only)
After completing 12+ months of qualifying experience, Gaining Experience applicants submitted proof — employer reference letters, T4 slips, pay stubs — through the Permanent Residence Portal. IRCC then proceeded to the final PR decision stage.
Provide Biometrics, Medical Exam, and Police Clearances
All applicants completed biometrics at a designated collection centre, underwent a medical examination by an IRCC-approved panel physician, and provided police clearance certificates from every country lived in 6+ months since age 18.
Receive PR Approval and Confirmation of Permanent Residence
Approved applicants received a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and, if outside Canada, a PR visa to land at a Canadian port of entry. Accompanying spouses received open work permits during processing, and children received study permits. Applications received on or before June 17, 2024 continue to be processed under these rules.
The Home Child Care Provider Pilot is now closed to new applications. This page documents the program rules for applicants with in-flight files submitted on or before June 17, 2024, and for caregivers researching Canada's policy history. IRCC continues to process complete applications under the original pilot rules and will communicate decisions through the Permanent Residence Portal.
Home child care providers exploring Canada in 2026 should monitor canada.ca/caregivers for any new pilot announcement, and in the meantime review the Canadian Experience Class under Express Entry, provincial nominee streams that accept caregiving occupations, and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot as the currently open federal PR pathways.
For detailed insights on eligibility, document checklist, visa validity, and common refusal reasons, explore PR Visa FAQs guide to know the answers of all your questions.
Related Resources
Explore more about Home Child Care Provider Pilot
Looking for a currently open PR pathway for caregivers?
Review Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program caregiver streams, and Rural Community Immigration Pilot.