Canada halts Home Care Worker immigration

Canada's Immigration Department, IRCC, has announced a pause on new applications for its Home Care Worker Immigration pilot programs. The announcement comes as interest in the programs continues to exceed available spaces, creating longer wait times for prospective applicants. The Home Care Worker pilots allow skilled workers providing essential support to seniors, children, and people with disabilities to apply for permanent residence in Canada. The programs are part of Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which aims to address labour gaps in critical sectors.Why applications are being pausedIRCC said the pause is intended to prioritize processing of existing applications and prevent the backlog from growing further. “In order to prioritize processing of existing applications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will pause intake until further notice,” the agency stated. The pilots’ intake will not reopen in March 2026 as previously expected. The agency reassured applicants that current submissions will continue to be processed under the Immigration Levels Plan. “While we understand that this will be disappointing for prospective applicants and their families, this pause will prevent further inventory growth and support our goal to bring immigration back to sustainable levels,” IRCC added. Updates on the Home Care Worker pilot programs will be shared publicly as they become available. The pause reflects the government’s broader strategy to ensure that Canada’s immigration system remains responsive to labour market needs while maintaining manageable application volumes.