Specific Guidance for Employers and Workers in the Home Care Worker Program
Starting March 31, 2025, Canada will launch new pilot programs for home care workers (Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot). Details regarding application limits for these new programs have not yet been released, so applications should be submitted as quickly as possible.
Workers
- Work experience or professional qualifications:
- At least 6 months of continuous and relevant work experience as a home caregiver (nurse, hospital nurse, preschool teacher, etc.)
- Or have a professional qualification in home care (Personal Support Worker, nurse, early childhood education, etc.)
- Full-time job offer: From a private family or a company specializing in providing home caregiver services.
- Language proficiency certificate: Minimum CLB 4 level in English or French.
- Qualifications: Minimum of a high school diploma (or equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma). If you do not have a Canadian diploma, you will need to take a WES assessment.
Employer
- The family hired a caregiver.
- Provide proof of sufficient income based on LICO (number of dependents) + one year's salary from your homecare giver.
- A full-time employment contract with the employee.
- Homecare companies: currently there are no specific regulations.
According to information from the Canadian government's Job Bank , the wages for personal support workers (home support ) in Ontario typically range from CAD 17.20/hour to CAD 27.10/hour , with an average of approximately CAD 20.34/hour . jobbank.gc.ca
Low Income Threshold (LICO) in Canada
The Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) is the income level below which a family is considered to have low income, based on a percentage of their spending above average on essential needs such as food, housing, and clothing.
LICO pre-tax table for 2022 by family size and community size:
| Family size | Rural areas (outside of CMA or CA) | CA < 30,000 inhabitants | CMA population: 30,000 - 99,999 | CMA population: 100,000 - 499,999 | CMA ≥ 500,000 inhabitants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $20,225 | $23,009 | $25,146 | $25,303 | $29,380 |
| 2 people | $25,178 | $28,643 | $31,304 | $31,498 | $36,576 |
| 3 people | $30,953 | $35,213 | $38,484 | $38,723 | $44,966 |
| 4 people | $37,582 | $42,755 | $46,726 | $47,016 | $54,594 |
| 5 people | $42,624 | $48,492 | $52,996 | $53,323 | $61,920 |
| 6 people | $48,074 | $54,691 | $59,771 | $60,142 | $69,835 |
| 7 or more people | $53,523 | $60,890 | $66,546 | $66,958 | $77,751 |
Note: CMA stands for "Census Metropolitan Area," and CA stands for "Census Agglomeration."
Application of LICO in the Caregiver program:
In the Caregiver program, LICO is used to assess the financial capacity of employers. Specifically, a family wishing to hire a caregiver needs to demonstrate sufficient income to support both their family and the caregiver without financial hardship. This ensures that the caregiver will be paid in full and on time, and that the family will not have to rely on government financial assistance.
For example:
If a family of four wants to hire an additional caregiver (for a total of five), they need to demonstrate an income at least equal to the LICO threshold for a five-person family in a large metropolitan area (CMA ≥ 500,000 population), which is $61,920. If the caregiver's annual salary is $25,000, the minimum income the family needs to demonstrate would be:
$61,920 + $25,000 = $86,920
Important Note
Currently, only Canadian citizens are eligible to participate in this program (excluding tourists).
Short-term PSW course (23 weeks) with certificate awarded in Canada.
KeyApply - Comprehensive Support for Caregivers Application Profiles
KeyApply provides professional consulting and application processing services:
- Assess eligibility for the program.
- Instructions for creating WES (Weekly Events) are available if needed.
- Assistance in finding a suitable job offer .
- Prepare your PR application documents according to IRCC standards.
- Advise employers on the conditions for hiring caregivers.
📞 Book an appointment with KeyApply for a consultation!
