Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot: Assessing the application against selection criteria

Applicants should be assessed against the pass and fail selection criteria below, based on the information and documents provided in the application. Applicants must meet the following criteria to be approved:

• education
• official language proficiency

In addition, applicants must provide proof of either of the following:

• at least 6 months of qualifying Canadian work experience, or
• a job offer and the ability to perform the work

On this page

• Education
  • Canadian credentials
  • Foreign credentials
• Qualifying work experience
  • Applicants in the Gaining experience category (Category A)
  • Applicants in the Direct to permanent residence category (Category B)
  • Qualifying work
  • Breaks in work experience
  • Assessing work experience
    • Standard of proof
    • Supporting documents
  • GCMS workaround for the reduction of the work experience to 6 months
• Additional requirements for applicants under Category A (Gaining experience)
  • Job offer
    • Job offer that is no longer valid
    • Job offer from a relative
    • Assessing whether a job offer is genuine
  • Ability to perform the work
    • Supporting documentation
  • Exemption from the Category A offer-of-employment assessment

Education

The applicant must provide evidence that they have either of the following completed items:

• Canadian 1-year post-secondary (or higher) educational credential or
• foreign educational credential equivalent to the above and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report issued for immigration purposes by an organization designated by IRCC

Canadian credentials

A post-secondary Canadian educational credential is any post-secondary diploma, certificate or credential that is issued on the completion of a Canadian program of study or training at an educational or training institution that is recognized by the provincial authorities responsible for registering, accrediting, supervising and regulating such institutions. As such, an applicant who has started a college or university program and has successfully completed the credits for 1 year of that program, but who has not yet completed the program of study, would not meet this requirement.

Foreign credentials

For applicants with a foreign educational credential, the ECA report must

• indicate that the credential is equivalent to a completed Canadian 1-year post-secondary (or higher) educational credential
• be less than 5 years old on the date of application receipt
• have been issued on or after the date the ECA organization was designated by IRCC

An ECA report stating the foreign credential is equivalent to a number of years of study may or may not demonstrate an equivalency to a completed Canadian educational credential. Officers can refer to the ECA conversion table to determine the equivalency for years of study.

If the years of study do not equate to an entry-to-practice professional degree or other outcome in the table, the officer can document this in the case notes as follows:

“The applicant’s ECA did not establish equivalency to any completed Canadian educational credential such as a degree, diploma or certificate.”

Equivalency assessments will include an assessment by the designated organization of the authenticity of the applicant’s completed foreign educational credentials.

Qualifying work experience

The applicant will be assessed for qualifying work experience once they have submitted proof of this requirement. The assessment will take place either up front in their initial permanent resident application (for Category B) or after an occupation-restricted open work permit (OROWP) is issued through one of these pilots (for Category A) (unless they provide sufficient proof of eligible work experience before the OROWP is issued).

Applicants in the Gaining experience category (Category A)

Applicants who are otherwise eligible but who did not have the qualifying work experience at the time of their application for permanent residence will receive an OROWP. As of June 16, 2024, not only Canadian, but also foreign work experience, or a mix of both, can count as qualifying work.

Deadline for sending IRCC proof of work experience

Within 36 months of the OROWP being issued, the applicant must submit proof of at least 6 months of full-time work experience.

Where the applicant does not take the necessary steps to obtain the OROWP, they must demonstrate that they have met the work experience requirements within 36 months of the date of the stage 1 eligibility approval letter.

Applicants have only 1 opportunity to submit their proof of work experience to IRCC for a decision, as per subsection 2(3.02) of the MIs; once a decision is made, the permanent residence application is closed. 

Timeline of the work experience

The work experience for Category A will only count if it was obtained between the 36‑month period before the application for permanent residence was made and the date on which the applicant submits the proof.

Note that this timeline applies to all applications that were not finalized as of June 16, 2024. Prior to then, the work experience needed to have been gained in the 36 months before they submitted proof, as per the MIs in force at the time.

Note: Some applicants may already have some qualifying Canadian or foreign work experience when they receive an OROWP. They can count this experience toward the 6-month requirement, as long as they demonstrate that the experience was acquired during the allowed timeline as described above.

Applicants in the Direct to permanent residence category (Category B)

Applicants with the required qualifying Canadian work experience at the time of application submit their proof of qualifying work experience upfront in their application for permanent residence. The applicant must demonstrate that they have obtained a total of at least 6 months of eligible full-time work experience in Canada in the 36 months preceding the time of application.

Qualifying work

To qualify, the applicant must show that they have performed full-time paid work in the occupation for at least 6 months, when they were not full-time students or self‑employed.

For work experience gained in Canada, applicants must have had temporary resident status and work authorization during the period of work experience. Only authorized work will be counted toward the work experience requirement. The authorized work experience may be acquired under any combination of authorized work permits and other authorizations to work (including maintained status or public policy).

Experience working for a business can also be counted as qualifying work experience (provided it meets the other requirements). It is only for the job offer requirement that businesses are not eligible employers.

Full-time work means at least 30 hours of paid work per week. Part-time work does not count towards calculating the 6 months of required employment (if it is below 30 hours of paid work per week). However, if an applicant is working more than 1 job concurrently in the same National Occupational Classification (NOC), and the total hours of these jobs add up to at least 30 hours per week, it can be counted.

To qualify, an applicant must have obtained work experience in an eligible occupation listed in the NOC:

• Home Child Care Provider Pilot applicants must have qualifying work experience as home child care providers (NOC 4411 under NOC 2016, or NOC 44100 under NOC 2021). Applicants must have provided in-home care to children, whether in their own home or in the employer’s or child’s home.
  • Note: Foster parents are not eligible to apply under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot.
• Home Support Worker Pilot applicants must have qualifying work experience as home support workers and related occupations (NOC 4412 under NOC 2016, or NOC 44101 under NOC 2021).
  • Note: Among the sub-occupations under NOC 4412 (NOC 2016), housekeepers and related occupations are not eligible to apply under the home support worker class. The onus is on the applicant to satisfy the officer that they predominantly provided personal care and support services as per the main duties described in the NOC occupational description, with any performance of routine housekeeping duties, such as laundry, washing dishes, etc., being incidental to their primary role providing in-home care. For applications received after November 16, 2022 (with the implementation of NOC 2021), this explicit exclusion of housekeeping duties is no longer necessary, as the definition of the NOC has changed, and housekeepers are not included under NOC 44101.

For the periods of work experience claimed in the application, all applicants must demonstrate they performed both of the following:

• the actions identified in the initial lead statement of the NOC description
• a substantial number of the main duties, including all the essential duties, listed in the NOC description
  • Note: This means the applicant performed some or all of the main duties, including all the duties that distinguish a particular occupation from any other. Duties that begin with “may” in the NOC description are not usually considered to be essential duties.

Breaks in work experience

Applicants do not have to be employed at the time they apply for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot.

Work experience does not need to be continuous to qualify, but the period of 6 months of required employment must not include

• any extended absence from Canada (including any time worked for an employer outside Canada)
• periods of unemployment
• prolonged sickness
• parental leave

A reasonable period of vacation time will be counted towards meeting the work experience requirement. For example, a 2-week period of paid vacation leave within a given 52-week period in which the applicant was engaged in qualifying work would qualify, whether that period of vacation was taken in Canada or outside Canada.

Any periods of self-employment or periods of employment during which the applicant was engaged in full-time study will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience. This applies to both Canadian and foreign experience.

If there is a period of overlap (for example, between the applicant’s study permit and work permit in the case of experience gained in Canada), the applicant should provide evidence to demonstrate that at the time they acquired their full-time work experience, they were not engaged in full-time study. For instance, they could provide a school transcript and proof of program completion to demonstrate that the work experience was acquired after they completed full-time studies. Any work experience acquired before full-time study program completion (that is, during academic breaks) does not qualify.

Assessing work experience

The applicant is required to provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the officer that the requirements have been met.

Standard of proof

The standard of proof the officer must use to make a decision is the balance of probabilities, meaning that the probability or likelihood of something being true is more than 50%.

Officers are expected to review the evidence to ensure its coherence and proper alignment. Documents should be cross-referenced for contradictions and inconsistencies between the documents and what the applicant is claiming, incompleteness in the documents such as whether the employment letter was properly signed and dated, etc.

Supporting documents

A list of the documents that clients may submit to substantiate their Canadian or foreign work experience is provided on the website. Officers may also request additional documents.

Documents that applicants can provide may include, but are not limited to

• employment verification letter (reference letter)
  • This letter should include details such as
    • the job title (for example, home support worker)
    • the duration of employment (start and end dates, if applicable)
    • the wages and number of hours worked per week
    • a description of the applicant’s duties and responsibilities
    • contact information of the employer (for example, phone number, email address)
• affidavit from the employer
  • A sworn affidavit (or statutory declaration) attesting to the nature and duration of the employment can act as a formal statement made under oath or affirmation.
• job offers and work contracts
• records of payment or financial documentation
  • This can include copies of receipts, bank statements showing deposits, or any financial records that can help verify that the applicant received payment for their work. Official tax statements and pay stubs can also be considered.
• correspondence or communications
  • Any emails, letters or other forms of communication (with a system-generated timestamp, ideally) between the applicant and the employer discussing caregiving arrangements or responsibilities can be submitted as supplementary evidence.
• photographs
  • Photographs can be considered as supplementary evidence that can complement other items if provided. Photographs showing the applicant engaged in caregiving activities can provide visual evidence of their role.
• tax records and other official documents
  • Copies of records or statements that show they paid taxes where they gained the experience may be useful, as well as any official documents issued when they stopped working for the employer (if this applies). In Canada, this could include T4s, notices of assessment and records of employment.

GCMS workaround for the reduction of the work experience to 6 months

As the original MIs required 24 months of work experience, if a shorter period is entered in the “Eligibility – Work experience” screen, the system will prevent the officer from passing eligibility with only 6 months of work experience.

As a workaround:

1. The officer can enter an artificial time period under the “work experience” tab that will bring the total to at least 24 months.
2. The officer must also add a case note indicating that they entered the period in GCMS as a workaround and include the actual period declared by the client as their qualifying work experience. The officer can use the following note:

Additional requirements for applicants under Category A (Gaining experience)

Applicants in this category must also provide proof of both of the following:

• a job offer
• the ability to perform the work

Job offer

Where applicants did not have the required amount of eligible work experience at the time of their initial application for permanent residence (and unless they are exempt from it), they must demonstrate that they have obtained a job offer which they are likely to accept that is

• from a single Canadian employer
  • The employer cannot be a business; rather, it must be a private individual or individuals seeking to address their in-home care needs.
    • The employer must be hiring the applicant directly for either their own care or the care of someone with whom they have a personal relationship.
  • The employer cannot be an embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada.
  • Although it is not a business, the employer is required to obtain a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number.
  • The employer can include more than 1 individual (for example, Pat Smith and Jamie Brown), but must constitute 1 single employer (that is, 1 single CRA business number).
  • The employer can be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a temporary resident.
    • If a temporary resident is eligible to register with the CRA for a business number and can meet other requirements for employers, there is nothing preventing them from making a job offer. However, as with any job offer, an officer would need to review all information and circumstances in the application to support a thorough assessment of the eligibility criteria, including genuineness of the employer–employee relationship.
• for a position outside the province of Quebec
• for full-time employment (full-time means at least 30 hours of paid work per week)
• non-seasonal
• in a home child care provider or home support worker occupation
• genuine and likely to be valid when the applicant is issued the initial OROWP

The job offer must also describe the work and duties to be performed by the applicant. These duties must align with the actions described in the lead statement for the eligible occupation, as set out in the occupational descriptions of the NOC.

The initial job offer must be submitted in the form of the Offer of Employment [IMM 5983] (PDF, 2.3 MB).

Note: The main duties of the job cannot be for foster parent or housekeeper occupations.

Job offer that is no longer valid

In the course of processing, we may become aware that an applicant’s job offer is no longer valid for any reason, including that the employer no longer requires home care. Before proceeding with a refusal for not meeting the job offer requirement, the applicant should be offered a reasonable opportunity of at least 3 or 4 months to find a new employer.

Job offer from a relative

All circumstances of the application must be reviewed to support an assessment of the eligibility and genuineness of the job offer and the employer–employee relationship.

The same level of scrutiny applies if the employer is a relative, as it does for any other job offer. A reminder that an applicant being related to their employer does not make them ineligible under the pilots.

Assessing whether a job offer is genuine

Offers of employment must undergo a genuineness assessment to ensure that caregivers are protected and that the integrity of the program is maintained.

Officers may consider a number of factors when assessing whether the job offer is valid and genuine, including, but not limited to:

• whether the job offer is consistent with the reasonable needs of the employer
• whether the wage specified in the job offer is aligned with the prevailing wage in the province or territory where the work will be carried out (the prevailing wage for IRCC’s purposes is the same as Employment and Social Development Canada’s)
• whether the terms of the offer are terms that the employer is reasonably able to fulfill

Specifically, officers may consider:

• whether the employer has a genuine need for a caregiver (for example, proof of a school-age child, expected delivery date of newborn child or a person with medical needs in the home)
• whether the employer has the financial ability to pay the wages specified in the job offer

To assess the validity of the job offer, officers can request further information from the employer and use information provided in the job offer. For example, officers can assess whether the employer is financially able to pay the caregiver the salary described in the job offer or if there is a genuine need for a caregiver by examining

• financial information provided by the employer
• the caregiver’s salary

Officers may refer to low income cut-offs (LICOs) as a point of reference when assessing the employer’s ability to pay the caregiver’s salary, which can serve as a reasonable indicator, though not a determining factor. In this case, the LICOs relative to the community size where the employer resides should be used, and the full household income can be taken into consideration. Apart from income and LICOs, other financial information may also be taken into consideration, for example, in the case of seniors wanting to devote a portion of their savings on care services.

Where there are concerns with the job offer, we would rely on the current work-sharing arrangements with the Domestic Network (DN) and International Platform Branch (IPB) if further review of an application is required.

Ability to perform the work

Applicants who have not obtained at least 6 months of qualifying Canadian work experience must demonstrate that they are able to perform the work described in the lead statement of the occupational description of the NOC in force at the time of receipt of their application for permanent residence.

• NOC 4411 under NOC 2016, or NOC 44100 under NOC 2021 if applying for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot
• NOC 4412 under NOC 2016, or NOC 44101 under NOC 2021 if applying the Home Support Worker Pilot

Failure to do so may result in a refusal.

Supporting documentation

When assessing an applicant’s ability to perform the work, officers can refer to supporting documentation provided in the application. This may include, but is not limited to,

• proof of relevant previous work experience (either paid or unpaid), for example:
  • employer reference letters
  • employment records
  • work contracts
  • pay stubs
• copies of relevant education credentials or training, which can include diplomas or certificates
• a copy of the applicant’s most recent work permit in Canada (if they have been working in Canada)

When an officer has serious concerns regarding an applicant’s ability to perform the work, the officer must follow procedural fairness.

Note: Applicants who are applying with less than 6 months of qualifying work experience (Category A) and have met the eligibility requirements relating to education, language, job offer and ability to perform the work must be assessed for admissibility before being issued an occupation-restricted open work permit and being assessed for qualifying work experience.

Exemption from the Category A offer of employment assessment

Certain Category A applicants are not required to have a valid job offer that they are likely to accept, nor proof that they are able to perform the duties in cases where

• between submission of their initial application and before an OROWP is issued, they
  • finish obtaining their qualifying Canadian work experience or become eligible with their existing work experience (for example, due to the amendment to the MIs that reduces the work experience requirement)
  • provide proof of their qualifying Canadian work experience together with the completed Schedule 19B (Work experience – IMM 5910), and
• the work experience is assessed as eligible

Therefore, once officers have determined that the Canadian work experience is eligible, the job offer assessment is not required, and officers can perform their assessment as if it were a Category B application. However, as it is still a Category A application, the application category must not be changed in GCMS.

Note: In the GCMS “Eligibility – Stage 1” assessment criteria window, the officer will still need to artificially set the job offer and ability to perform work fields as “Met”. Case notes should be added to indicate that the applicant was exempt and, as such, the assessment was not performed.

If the applicant meets all eligibility requirements (language, education, work experience), and provided they are eligible for it, a bridging open work permit (BOWP) should be issued instead of the OROWP while they wait for the admissibility assessment and final decision.

If the work experience on file before the issuance of the OROWP is found to be ineligible, the officer should follow the instructions on refusing the permanent residence application.

More details can be found in the instructions Making a final decision – Proof of work experience received before an OROWP decision.

Learn more

• Proof of work experience received before OROWP decision
• Job aid – Integrated ministerial instructions
• Occupation-restricted open work permit for caregivers
• Bridging open work permits (BOWP) for caregivers
• Making a final decision
• Decision making: Standard of review and process for making a reasonable decision