Minister Mendicino launches plan to accelerate caregiver application processing

 

Six thousand caregiver applications will be prioritized by the end of 2021; 1,500 by June 30, 2021

April 15, 2021—Ottawa—Caregivers from 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 caused great disruption to life in Canada and around the world, including to application processing at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). We recognize that many caregivers working in Canada are waiting anxiously to be reunited with their loved ones, and they need their applications to be processed for that to happen.

That is why IRCC is working to overcome the pandemic-related roadblocks that have interfered with processing applications from caregivers and their families by announcing a processing plan for 2021.

As part of this plan, IRCC will

• finalize permanent residence applications for up to 6,000 caregivers who have completed their in-Canada work experience and their immediate family members, by December 31, 2021
• make at least 1,500 first-stage decisions on applications for the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots by June 30, 2021
  • Prioritization of these decisions will allow more caregiver work permits to be issued for those who have valid job offers to work for families in Canada.
• increase the digitization of caregiver applications
• ensure applicants receive acknowledgement of receipt letters by May 31, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges for application processing, particularly for paper-based applications. With reduced capacity and office closures resulting in more employees working remotely, in 2020 IRCC only entered as many mailed-in applications as was possible into our case management system. As a result, a new public policy is being issued so that IRCC can process applications in 2021 that were received in 2020.

The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots were launched in 2019. They feature a clear transition for caregivers from temporary to permanent status, as well as occupation-specific, rather than employer-specific, work permits. They also provide the opportunity for caregivers and their families to move to Canada as they gain work experience. The response to these pilots suggests these features are attractive to caregivers and the Canadian families who need in-home care for a family member.

Quotes

“The pandemic disrupted people’s lives in Canada and around the world, and Canada’s immigration processes were no exception. Immigrant caregivers, who take care of our families and elders, are often separated from their own families, and the pandemic has significantly slowed down permanent residence application processing, keeping them apart from their families longer than we would have hoped. With today’s announcement, we’re getting caregiver immigration back on track which will help reunite front-line heroes with their loved ones.”

– The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts

• The new public policy will take effect on May 3, 2021. Applicants to the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots in 2020 will not need to reapply.

• As of March 3, 2021, there were applications for about 12,000 caregivers and their accompanying family members in the processing inventory. This includes applications to both the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots, but also cases that we continue to finalize from caregiver programs of the past.

• As of April 8, 2021, an estimated 2,367 applications have been received for the Home Child Care Provider Pilot, representing about 86% of the number of applications that can be accepted for 2021. For the Home Support Worker Pilot, an estimated 516 applications have been received, representing about 19% of the number of applications that can be accepted in 2021.

• Nearly 2,900 caregivers and their family members became permanent residents in 2020.

• Caregivers who are already in Canada could also have the opportunity to apply for permanent residence through the recently announced creation of a permanent residence pathway for essential workers.

New pathway to permanent residency for over 90,000 essential temporary workers and international graduates.

 April 14, 2021—Ottawa—Today, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced an innovative pathway to permanent residence for over 90,000 essential workers and international graduates who are actively contributing to Canada’s economy.

These special public policies will grant permanent status to temporary workers and international graduates who are already in Canada and who possess the skills and experience we need to fight the pandemic and accelerate our economic recovery.

The focus of this new pathway will be on temporary workers employed in our hospitals and long-term care homes and on the frontlines of other essential sectors, as well as international graduates who are driving the economy of tomorrow.

To be eligible, workers must have at least 1 year of Canadian work experience in a health-care profession or another pre-approved essential occupation. International graduates must have completed an eligible Canadian post-secondary program within the last 4 years, and no earlier than January 2017.

Effective May 6, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin accepting applications under the following 3 streams:

• 20,000 applications for temporary workers in health care
• 30,000 applications for temporary workers in other selected essential occupations
• 40,000 applications for international students who graduated from a Canadian institution

The streams will remain open until November 5, 2021, or until they have reached their limit. Up to 90,000 new permanent residents will be admitted under these 3 streams.    

To promote Canada’s official languages, 3 additional streams with no intake caps have also been launched for French-speaking or bilingual candidates. Communities across Canada benefit from French-speaking and bilingual newcomers, and this pathway will contribute to the vitality of these Francophone minority communities.

A detailed explanation of all eligibility requirements is available within the public policies.

As we continue the fight against the pandemic, immigration will remain critical to our economic recovery by addressing labour shortages and adding growth to our workforce.

With an accelerated pathway to permanent residency, these special public policies will encourage essential temporary workers and international graduates to put down roots in Canada and help us retain the talented workers we need, particularly in our health-care system.

Today’s announcement will help us achieve our 2021 Immigration Levels Plan, which will see Canada welcome 401,000 new permanent residents. The skilled newcomers and international graduates welcomed under our plan will help create jobs and drive long-term growth in Canada. 

Eligible occupations in Healthcare:

Occupation	NOC
Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors	3011
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses	3012
Specialist physicians	3111
General practitioners and family physicians	3112
Dentists	3113
Optometrists	3121
Chiropractors	3122
Allied primary health practitioners	3124
Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating	3125
Pharmacists	3131
Dietitians and nutritionists	3132
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists	3141
Physiotherapists	3142
Occupational therapists	3143
Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment	3144
Medical laboratory technologists	3211
Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants	3212
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists	3214
Medical radiation technologists	3215
Medical sonographers	3216
Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c.	3217
Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)	3219
Denturists	3221
Dental hygienists and dental therapists	3222
Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants	3223
Opticians	3231
Practitioners of natural healing	3232
Licensed practical nurses	3233
Paramedical occupations	3234
Massage therapists	3236
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment	3237
Dental assistants	3411
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates	3413
Other assisting occupations in support of health services	3414
Psychologists	4151
Social workers	4152
Family, marriage and other related counsellors	4153
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers	4165
Social and community service workers	4212
Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations	4412

Essential occupations

Unit Group	Occupation	NOC Code
Sales support occupations	Cashiers	6611
	Service station attendants	6621
	Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers	6622
	Other sales related occupations	6623
Industrial, electrical and construction trades	Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations	7201
	Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations	7202
	Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades	7203
	Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades	7204
	Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers	7205
	Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors	7231
	Tool and die makers	7232
	Sheet metal workers	7233
	Boilermakers	7234
	Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters	7235
	Ironworkers	7236
	Welders and related machine operators	7237
	Electricians (except industrial and power system)	7241
	Industrial electricians	7242
	Power system electricians	7243
	Electrical power line and cable workers	7244
	Telecommunications line and cable workers	7245
	Telecommunications installation and repair workers	7246
	Cable television service and maintenance technicians	7247
	Plumbers	7251
	Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers	7252
	Gas fitters	7253
	Carpenters	7271
	Cabinetmakers	7272
	Bricklayers	7281
	Concrete finishers	7282
	Tilesetters	7283
	Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers	7284
	Roofers and shinglers	7291
	Glaziers	7292
	Insulators	7293
	Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)	7294
	Floor covering installers	7295
Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers	Residential and commercial installers and servicers	7441
	Waterworks and gas maintenance workers	7442
	Pest controllers and fumigators	7444
	Other repairers and servicers	7445
	Longshore workers	7451
	Material handlers	7452
Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations	Transport truck drivers	7511
	Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators	7512
	Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs	7513
	Delivery and courier service drivers	7514
	Heavy equipment operators (except crane)	7521
	Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers	7522
	Railway yard and track maintenance workers	7531
	Water transport deck and engine room crew	7532
	Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations	7533
	Air transport ramp attendants	7534
	Other automotive mechanical installers and servicers	7535
Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations	Construction trades helpers and labourers	7611
	Other trades helpers and labourers	7612
	Public works and maintenance labourers	7621
	Railway and motor transport labourers	7622
Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers	Harvesting labourers	8611
	Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers	8612
	Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers	8613
	Mine labourers	8614
	Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers	8615
	Logging and forestry labourers	8616
Mail and message distribution occupations	Mail, postal and related workers	1511
	Letter carriers	1512
	Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors	1513
Retail salesperson	Retail salespersons	6421
Cleaners	Light duty cleaners	6731
	Specialized cleaners	6732
	Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents	6733
Agriculture and horticulture workers	General farm workers	8431
	Nursery and greenhouse workers	8432
Other workers in fishing and trapping and hunting occupations	Fishing vessel deckhands	8441
	Trappers and hunters	8442
Machine operators and related workers in food, beverage and associated products processing	Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing	9461
	Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers	9462
	Fish and seafood plant workers	9463
	Testers and graders, food and beverage processing	9465
Other groups	Managers in agriculture	821
	Managers in horticulture	822
	French and French Immersion Secondary school teachers (language of instruction must be French	4031
	French and French Immersion Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (language of instruction must be French)	4032
	Home child care providers	4411
	Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants	4413
	Retail butchers	6331
	Airline ticket and service agents	6523
	Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks	6524
	Security guards and related security service occupations	6541
	Customer services representatives – financial institutions	6551
	Other customer and information services representatives	6552
	Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers	8252
	Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services	8255
	Labourers in food and beverage processing	9617
	Labourers in fish and seafood processing	9618

Workers will need to have at least one year of Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation, be currently employed in Canada, and intend to reside outside the province of Quebec. As well, workers must demonstrate English- or French-language proficiency equal to or higher than Canadian Language Benchmark of Level 4 (CLB 4), a lower threshold than most other economic Canadian immigration programs. Notably, French-language speakers will be eligible to apply through their own distinct pathways — identical in every way, but exempt from the quotas.

International graduates from Canadian post-secondary schools will be able to apply through a new pathway that will accept 40,000 applicants. To be eligible, international students must have graduated from a Canadian university or college within the four years prior to applying (not having graduated before January, 2017). Applicants must be currently employed in Canada and intend to reside outside the province of Quebec.

International students will need to demonstrate English- or French-language proficiency equal to or higher than Canadian Language Benchmark of Level 5 (CLB 5). Notably, French-language speakers will be eligible to apply through their own distinct pathway — identical in every way, but exempt from the quota.

Source: IRCC, Moving 2 Canada.