Canada paused its Home Care Worker pilots
General information only, not legal advice. Immigration rules change. Always verify requirements on official government websites before you apply.
On 19 December 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) paused new applications to the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots. Intake is paused "until further notice". IRCC confirmed the pilots would not reopen in March 2026.
This is a pause, not a closure. Calling it a closure would be wrong. Other Canadian healthcare immigration routes continue.
What paused
The Home Care Worker Immigration pilots were dedicated pathways for foreign nationals to work as home care workers in Canada and eventually apply for permanent residence. New applications to those pilots are not being accepted while the pause is in force.
No date has been given for when intake might resume.
What is still running
Healthcare Express Entry is separate and is still running.
In February 2026, IRCC confirmed that health care and social services remains one of the category-based Express Entry selection categories for 2026. Candidates in these occupations can be invited at lower Comprehensive Ranking System scores than the general pool.
Provincial Nominee Programs also run healthcare streams. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points, which in practice guarantees an invitation to apply.
If you are comparing UK and Canadian options after the UK care worker closure, Canada's Express Entry healthcare category is the pathway that remains active, not the paused pilots.
How this differs from the UK
| UK care workers (6135/6136) | Canada HCW pilots | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Overseas recruitment ended | Intake paused |
| Effective | 22 July 2025 | 19 December 2025 |
| Alternative routes | Other UK occupation codes | Express Entry healthcare category, PNPs |
| Reopening | None announced | None announced, but described as pause |
We check IRCC and the Home Office weekly. This page updates when either position moves.
What to do next
Use the Express Entry points calculator to see where you stand on Canada's main economic route, or read our care worker alternatives page if you were targeting the UK.
Common questions
- Is Canada's caregiver route closed?
The dedicated Home Care Worker Immigration pilots paused new intake on 19 December 2025. IRCC said intake is paused until further notice and confirmed the pilots would not reopen in March 2026. That is a pause, not a permanent closure. Canada's healthcare Express Entry category is a separate pathway and was confirmed running in February 2026.
- Can I still immigrate to Canada in healthcare?
Yes, through other pathways. Category-based Express Entry draws include health care and social services as a 2026 priority category. Provincial Nominee Program streams also exist. The paused pilots are one route among several.
- How is a pause different from the UK care worker closure?
The UK ended overseas recruitment for care workers with no reopening date announced; new entry clearance from abroad is not available. Canada paused intake to specific pilot programmes while other healthcare immigration routes continue.