Caregiver LMIA
With the federal caregiver permanent residence pilots closed, the LMIA route is currently the main way to bring an in-home caregiver to Canada. It runs through the ordinary Temporary Foreign Worker Program, with several exemptions that make it more workable than most low-wage hiring right now.
Where the PR pilots stand
The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots opened on 31 March 2025, replacing the older Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots. They were heavily oversubscribed, and IRCC paused intake on 19 December 2025 with both streams — workers in Canada, and applicants abroad — closed. Nothing has been announced about reopening.
That means the honest position today is that there is no open federal caregiver PR pilot. A work permit through an LMIA is the available route, with permanent residence pursued afterwards through Express Entry or a provincial nomination once Canadian experience is built.
We will not take a fee to prepare an application for a programme that is not accepting them. If anyone offers you a caregiver PR application today, ask them which stream is open.
The exemptions that make this workable
- ● In-home caregiver occupations sit in the 20% cap band rather than the standard 10%.
- ● Certain in-home caregiver positions are exempt from the refusal-to-process rule where supported by medical documentation — which matters in Abbotsford, currently at 8.0% unemployment.
- ● The $1,000 LMIA fee is waived for in-home medical caregivers, and for childcare where the family's income is $150,000 or less.
- ● A Transition Plan is not required for in-home caregiver positions.
What the employer has to do
- ● Meet the low-wage advertising requirements — Job Bank plus 8 consecutive weeks, with youth recruitment and two underrepresented-group methods — unless an exemption applies.
- ● Offer a wage that meets or exceeds the prevailing wage for the occupation and region.
- ● Provide a written employment contract setting out duties, hours, wage, and any accommodation arrangement.
- ● Keep records for six years and be able to produce them on inspection.
- ● Prove the business or household is legitimate with documentary evidence — accountant and lawyer attestations have not been accepted since October 2024.
For the caregiver
A caregiver arriving on an employer-specific permit should understand two things from the start. First, if the employment becomes abusive, the vulnerable worker open work permit is free, does not require the employer's consent, and exists precisely for that situation. Second, the path to permanent residence now runs through Canadian work experience and the general economic programmes, so the occupation, the hours and the record-keeping all matter more than they used to.
We advise both employers and caregivers, though not on both sides of the same arrangement.
Reviewed by a licensed RCIC · Last updated 13 August 2026. Immigration rules change often — confirm anything time-sensitive with us or on canada.ca.
Looking for related services? See our full LMIA overview or all services.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a caregiver still get permanent residence?
Not through a dedicated caregiver pilot at the moment. The Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots closed to new applications and intake was paused on 19 December 2025, with no reopening announced. The realistic route today is to work here lawfully, build Canadian experience, and pursue permanent residence through Express Entry or a provincial stream.
Is the caregiver LMIA affected by the unemployment refusal rule?
Certain in-home caregiver positions are exempt where supported by medical documentation. That is significant in the Fraser Valley, where Abbotsford–Mission is at 8.0% unemployment and most other low-wage applications are not being processed at all.
Do I have to pay the $1,000 LMIA fee?
Not for in-home medical caregivers, and not for childcare where the family's gross annual income is $150,000 or less. Outside those cases the fee applies as normal.
How many caregivers can I employ?
In-home caregiving falls in the 20% cap band rather than the standard 10% for low-wage positions. For a private household the practical limits are different again, and worth checking against your circumstances before recruiting.
What happens if the arrangement breaks down?
A caregiver on an employer-specific permit is not trapped. If there is abuse — and that includes wage theft, unsafe housing, isolation or threats, not only physical harm — a vulnerable worker open work permit is free, does not need the employer's consent, and lets them leave without losing status.
Still unsure how this applies to your case? Book an appointment with a licensed RCIC.
More LMIA services
Other pathways we handle in this area — or talk to a licensed RCIC about which fits your case.
Waymark runs on the Nova System platform — built in Abbotsford, BC by practising RCICs.