Occupation-restricted open work permits under the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot – Category A applicants [R205(a) – C90] – International Mobility Program

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

These instructions apply to IRCC employees. Since applicants cannot submit their applications at a port of entry, the instructions do not apply to border services officers.

This page provides instructions for processing work permit applications under the permanent residence Home Child Care Provider Pilot (HCCPP) (National Occupational Classification [NOC] 4411 under NOC 2016 or 44100 under NOC 2021) and Home Support Worker Pilot (HSWP) (NOC 4412 under NOC 2016 or 44100 under NOC 2021).

The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with  

The occupation-restricted open work permit is issued under the authority of paragraph 205(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), as the work of caregivers plays an important role in supporting Canadian families. As foreign nationals in transition to permanent residence, caregiver applicants under the pilots are expected to make significant economic and social contributions to society.

There are 2 categories—category A (Gaining experience) and category B (Direct to permanent residence)

Applicants who belong to category A must submit their work permit application with their permanent residence application package, and the requirements for permanent residence are assessed first. If they have less than 24 months of eligible Canadian work experience but meet all other requirements, they should be issued an occupation-restricted open work permit that will allow them time to obtain the eligible work experience.

Applicants who belong to category B are not eligible to receive a work permit for the purpose of obtaining the necessary work experience, because they already meet the minimum experience requirements of the permanent residence program. However, they may be eligible for a bridging open work permit.

On this page

Applicant categories

Applicants under the pilots are divided into 2 categories, depending on whether or not they have the eligible Canadian work experience:

Eligibility

To be eligible for an occupation-restricted open work permit under one of the pilots, the applicant must

Officers may consult the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot instructions for guidance on permanent residence eligibility criteria, intake and processing.

Note: Due to the complexity of the application process, category A applicants cannot submit their work permit application upon entry to Canada at the port of entry.

Receipt of work permit applications

Work permit applications must be submitted with applications for permanent residence.

Officers should confirm that the correct work permit application was submitted with the permanent residence application package.

Application forms

For applicants who are physically outside of Canada, the Application for Work Permit Made Outside Canada [IMM 1295] (PDF, 572 KB) should be received, with the appropriate fees: $155 work permit fee and $100 open work permit holder fee.

For applicants who are physically in Canada and are authorized to apply for a work permit after entry as per section R199, the Application to Change Conditions, Extend My Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker [IMM 5710] (PDF, 587 KB) should be received, with the appropriate fees: $155 work permit fee and $100 open work permit holder fee.

For applicants who are physically in Canada but are not authorized to apply after entry, the Application for Work Permit Made Outside Canada [IMM 1295] (PDF, 572 KB) should be received, with the appropriate fees: $155 work permit fee and $100 open work permit holder fee.

Important: All applicants are required to maintain their status and authorizations if in Canada. They may need to apply for an extension of their temporary resident status separately to ensure they do not fall out of status while awaiting a decision on their application for permanent residence under the caregiver pilots.

Method of receipt of application

For pilot application packages submitted through regular mail, officers should find the correct paper version of the work permit application included with the permanent residence application and supporting documents.

For pilot application packages submitted via the Permanent Residence Portal, officers will find the work permit application as “Other” in the list of documents in the portal.

Regardless of method of receipt, after creation and promotion of the completed permanent resident application, the officer will

Processing work permit applications

If the officer is satisfied that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements under category A and is not inadmissible, the officer will issue an occupation-restricted open work permit.

In some cases, category A applicants may submit the proof of work experience before IRCC issues the work permit. Regardless of proof of completion of 24 months’ experience, the same process is followed, as they were category A at the time of application submission.

Permanent residence application is refused

If the application for permanent residence is refused (a stage 1 negative decision), the following procedures for work permit applications apply:

For work permit applications made using the outside Canada application form, the officer will

For work permit applications made using the in-Canada application form, the officer will

Note: For negative decisions, the same procedure applies to accompanying family members who submitted an application for a work permit, study permit, temporary resident visa or visitor record extension with the application for permanent residence. For example, if the principal applicant is in Canada and the accompanying family members are overseas, the officer will refuse the work permit application for the principal applicant and cancel and refund all overseas temporary residence applications.

Applicant is inadmissible or non-compliant

If it is determined that a category A applicant is in Canada and has lost their status or been determined inadmissible, the officer should follow the instructions for assessing the permanent residence application first.

If the officer passes the permanent residence admissibility based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations, they must determine if the issuance of a temporary resident permit (TRP) is warranted to overcome any non-compliance or inadmissibility and allow the applicant to regain their temporary resident status.

If the TRP is issued, then the occupation-restricted open work permit may be issued for the same length of time as the TRP. However, the work permit is issued under paragraph R207(d) since the applicant has applied for permanent residence and the Minister granted them an exemption under humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The permanent residence application remains in the pilot.

Since the applicant is still part of the pilot and the work permit is issued under the pilot, the following coding is used: labour market impact assessment (LMIA) exemption code A70.

All other coding remains the same.

Work permit issuance in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)

Under the “Application” screen, officers should enter the following information in the specified fields:

Field Selection or input

Case type

20

Province of destination

Unknown

City of destination

Unknown

Exemption code

C90

NOC

4411 (NOC 2016) or 44100 (NOC 2021) Child Care

4412 (NOC 2016) or 44100 (NOC 2021) Home Support

Special Program Code

CARE4411 (Caregivers&fam-HCCP Pilot)   

CARE4412 (Caregivers&fam-HSW Pilot)

Intended occupation

Home Child Care Provider

Home Support Worker

Employer

Open

Duration

36 months or until the expiry of the passport or travel document, whichever is earlier

Conditions
(mandatory)

Not authorized to work in any other occupation

Officers must include the following condition in the work permit remarks:

  • May not engage in employment in the province of Quebec

User remarks
(mandatory)

For work permits approved outside of Canada:

  • POE: Please issue for 3 years from date of entry or until passport expiry, whichever is earlier.

Validity and renewals

The occupation-restricted work permit will be issued for a maximum of 3 years. The 3-year period starts on the day the work permit is issued.

If the initial work permit was issued for less than 3 years to align with the passport validity, an extension may be issued for the remaining eligibility period. To align with permanent residence objectives under the HCCPP and HSWP, the extension must not exceed 3 years from the date of issuance of the initial work permit under the pilot.

For example, if the work permit was issued for 2 years, it may be extended for 1 year from the date of expiry to ensure that the total period of time does not exceed 3 years.

Spouses or common-law partners and dependants of category A applicants [R205(a) – C91]

Processing temporary residence applications for family members

Officers must confirm the family member is included as accompanying in the application for permanent residence before finalizing any temporary residence applications.

Dependants may submit their temporary residence application together with the principal applicant’s application for permanent residence.

Important: If the permanent residence application is submitted through the Permanent Residence Portal, once submission is complete, no additional applications or documentation can be added through the portal.

Note: In the Permanent Residence Portal, temporary residence applications for the principal applicant and for dependants are both submitted by

  • uploading all their temporary residence forms under Upload required supporting documentation
  • choosing document type Other

Dependants who did not include their temporary residence application in the same package as the caregiver application for permanent residence can only submit their application after the caregiver (principal applicant) receives an acknowledgement of receipt letter confirming that the permanent residence application has been put into processing.

Important: Real permanent resident application numbers start with an E. A confirmation of submission, which uses a temporary application number that starts with an X, or an automated email notification sent when an application is submitted in the Permanent Residence Portal are not sufficient proof of approval in principle for issuance of a work permit to a dependent.

In such cases, dependants must upload proof of the principal applicant’s acknowledgement of receipt letter in the “Client Information” field when they apply online through the IRCC secure account (MyCIC Account).

If migration offices receive an online application from dependants overseas and the occupation-restricted open work permit has not yet been issued for the caregiver’s application for permanent residence, the migration office should

Upon review of the temporary residence application, the CPC-E or local office will put the application on hold until eligibility and admissibility are met (and the principal applicant’s occupation-restricted open work permit is issued).

If the dependants are eligible to apply for temporary residence after entry and they used the in-Canada form, the CPC-E or local office will process the application and make the final decision as per the regular procedure.

If migration offices receive an online application from dependants overseas and the CPC-E has already issued a positive stage 1 approval letter and occupation-restricted open work permit to the caregiver applicant, the appropriate migration office can make a final decision on the temporary residence application.

Dependent family members eligible for an open work permit

Accompanying spouses or common-law partners and adult dependants are eligible for an open work permit. The work permit is issued under the authority of paragraph R205(a).

Adult dependants are those who meet the definition of dependent child and are past the age of majority for their place of residence in Canada.

Age of majority

The age of majority is 18 years in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. For example, a 17-year-old dependent child applying to work in one of these provinces is not eligible to apply for an open work permit under the caregiver pilots.

The age of majority is 19 years in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon.

Study permits

The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with Temporary Residents: Students.

Minor children

Minor children already in Canada are authorized under subsection 30(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to study without a study permit at the preschool, primary or secondary level if one of their parents (biological or adoptive) is authorized to work or study in Canada. This includes temporary residents who are

Validity period of the study permit

The validity of the study permit is tied to the validity of the caregiver’s work permit or until the expiry of the passport or travel document, whichever is earlier.

Special program code

For accompanying spouses or common-law partners and dependants who are issued a study permit, officers must indicate the special program code CARE4411 (Caregivers&fam-HCCP Pilot) or CARE4412 (Caregivers&fam-HSW Pilot) under which the caregiver is applying.

Temporary resident visa or electronic travel authorization

Preschool-age dependants need to apply for either a temporary resident visa (TRV) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). At the port of entry, the preschool-age dependant should be authorized to enter for the same duration as the principal applicant’s occupation-restricted open work permit or until the expiry of the passport or travel document, whichever is earlier.

Special program code for visitors

For accompanying spouses or common-law partners and dependants who are issued either a temporary resident visa (TRV) or a visitor record, officers must indicate the special program code CARE4411 (Caregivers&fam-HCCP Pilot) or CARE4412 (Caregivers&fam-HSW Pilot) under which the caregiver is applying.

Scenarios

While it is preferred that any work permit or study permit applications for dependants be included in the principal applicant’s permanent residence application, there are cases where dependants may choose to submit their work or study permit applications together as a family group or later in the process. Below are 3 such scenarios.

Principal applicant and dependants are overseas

Principal applicant

Dependants

Principal applicant is in Canada and dependants are overseas

Principal applicant

Dependants

Principal applicant is in Canada as a visitor and dependants are overseas

Principal applicant

Dependants

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