6,000 caregiver applications will be prioritized by end of 2021

Caregivers abroad play an important role in supporting Canadian families who are unable to find the care they need for a family member in Canada. The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted life in Canada and around the world, including the processing of applications to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). We recognize that many caregivers working in Canada anxiously wait to be reunited with their loved ones and need their requests addressed for this to happen.

That's why IRCC is working to overcome the pandemic-related hurdles that have hampered the processing of requests from caregivers and their families by announcing a treatment plan for 2021.

As part of this plan, IRCC:

• Finalize permanent residence applications for up to 6,000 caregivers who have completed their work experience in Canada and their immediate family members, by December 31, 2021.
• Make at least 1,500 first-step decisions on family child care provider and home support worker pilot project applications by June 30, 2021:
• Prioritizing these decisions will allow more caregiver work permits to be issued to those with valid job offers to work for families in Canada.
• Increase the digitization of applications for caregivers.
• Ensure applicants receive acknowledgments by May 31, 2021.

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The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilot projects were launched in 2019. They provide for a clear transition for caregivers from temporary to permanent status, as well as permits specific to the profession rather than the employer. They also provide the opportunity for informal caregivers and their families to relocate to Canada as they gain work experience. The response to these pilots suggests that these characteristics are attractive to family caregivers and Canadian families who require home care for a family member.