{"id":2000,"date":"2026-11-10T04:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T04:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/?p=2000"},"modified":"2026-11-10T04:00:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T04:00:29","slug":"caregiver-pilot-paused-options-bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/caregiver-pilot-paused-options-bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Caregiver pilot paused: options for caregivers in BC in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed November 9, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2024, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Updated November 9, 2026: the pilot status was checked on IRCC’s pause notice<\/a> (modified December 19, 2025) and caregivers page<\/a> (modified January 27, 2026), and the BC PNP lists on WelcomeBC<\/a> (last updated June 17, 2026) that day.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The rule:<\/strong> IRCC paused intake for the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots on December 19, 2025 “until further notice”, and said they will not reopen in March 2026. Applications already received continue to be processed.<\/p>\n

Who it affects:<\/strong> nannies, home child care providers and home support workers (NOC 44100 and 44101) who planned to apply for permanent residence through the pilots.<\/p>\n

What to do:<\/strong> keep your work permit valid, and check whether your experience or a move into a care aide, LPN or nursing role opens Express Entry or the BC PNP.<\/p>\n

See your options<\/a> \u00b7 Book a consultation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The lawyers who handle these files<\/p>\n

\"SundeepSundeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PrabhpreetPrabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PardeepPardeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
\nAbout our lawyers<\/summary>\n
\n

Sundeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> founded Lawgical Law Corporation and argues immigration cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.<\/p>\n

Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/a><\/strong> focuses on refugee claims, immigration appeals, inadmissibility, detention reviews and Federal Court cases, and has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars and the National Immigration Conference.<\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> is an immigration and estates lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

If you are a caregiver in Surrey, Abbotsford or anywhere in BC and were waiting for the home care worker pilots to reopen, IRCC has paused intake until further notice and said it would not reopen in March 2026. If you already applied, your file keeps moving. If you hadn’t, the practical plan has two parts: keep your status by renewing your work permit on time, and look at whether your work, or a next job in health care, can qualify you for Express Entry or the BC PNP. Home child care and home support jobs are TEER 4, which most permanent residence programs don’t accept, so the occupation is often the key decision.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, helps caregivers and the families who hire them with work permits, LMIAs, permanent residence applications and refusals.<\/p>\n

Is the caregiver pilot closed in 2026?<\/h2>\n

Yes, for new applicants. IRCC paused intake for the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots on December 19, 2025, “until further notice”, and said the pilots will not reopen in March 2026. Its caregivers page lists every caregiver PR program as closed. Files received before the pause continue to be processed in line with the Immigration Levels Plan.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Program<\/th>\nStatus (November 9, 2026)<\/th>\nSource<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Home Care Worker Immigration pilots<\/td>\nIntake paused December 19, 2025, until further notice; not reopening March 2026; existing files processed<\/td>\nIRCC notice; caregivers page “Closed”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot<\/td>\nClosed; last day to apply June 17, 2024<\/td>\nIRCC caregivers page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Live-in Caregiver Program<\/td>\nClosed, except people who already got a work permit under it based on an LMIA submitted before December 2014<\/td>\nIRCC caregivers page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Caring for Children, High Medical Needs pilots, Interim Pathway for Caregivers<\/td>\nClosed (last dates in 2019)<\/td>\nIRCC caregivers page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

IRCC says “Any future updates on the program will be shared publicly.” There is no announced reopening date.<\/p>\n

What are my options as a caregiver in BC?<\/h2>\n

With the pilots paused, caregivers in BC have five practical routes: wait on a file already submitted (which may be sped up under the In-Canada Workers Initiative), qualify for Express Entry through TEER 0 to 3 work, move into a BC PNP healthcare occupation, keep status with an LMIA-based work permit, or use another work permit. Most people combine two of these.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Route<\/th>\nOpen now?<\/th>\nWho it fits<\/th>\nKey requirement<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Pilot application already submitted<\/td>\nProcessing continues<\/td>\nCaregivers who applied before December 19, 2025<\/td>\nKeep your work permit valid and answer IRCC requests on time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
In-Canada Workers Initiative<\/td>\nOnly for files already in<\/td>\nCaregiver pilot (and PNP, AIP, community and agri-food) applicants who have lived in smaller communities for 2+ years<\/td>\nIRCC speeds up existing files; “Applicants do not need to take any action”. Up to 33,000 transitions in 2026 and 2027. “Smaller communities” is not defined, and IRCC has not said whether Metro Vancouver or Fraser Valley residents count.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class)<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nCaregivers with 12 months of TEER 0 to 3 work in Canada (for example as an LPN or care aide)<\/td>\n1 year or 1,560 hours of paid TEER 0 to 3 work in the last 3 years; NOC 44100 and 44101 are TEER 4 and don’t count<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
BC PNP Care list or Health Authority stream<\/td>\nYes, by invitation<\/td>\nCaregivers who move into health care: nurse aides and patient service associates (33102), LPNs (32101), RNs (31301) and other listed codes<\/td>\nTEER 0 to 3 job; care aides must be on the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry; Health Authority stream needs a public health authority job<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LMIA-based caregiver work permit<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nCaregivers already in Canada with a family willing to hire them<\/td>\nFull-time (30+ hours) in a private household; in-home caregiver LMIAs are exempt from the low-wage freeze<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other work permits (for example a spousal open work permit)<\/td>\nDepends<\/td>\nCaregivers whose spouse is a skilled worker or eligible student<\/td>\nSee our spousal open work permit guide<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Why the job code (NOC and TEER) decides most of this<\/h2>\n

Home child care providers (NOC 44100) and home support workers (NOC 44101) are TEER 4. The Canadian Experience Class and the BC PNP Skilled Worker stream only accept TEER 0 to 3 work, and the BC PNP stream that took TEER 4 and 5 jobs, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled, closed on April 23, 2026. So the pilot was the main PR route for TEER 4 caregiving.<\/p>\n