- with readers working within the Retail & Leisure industries
On December 19, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it will pause new application intake for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot Program until further notice. This means that the program will not re-open in March 2026 as previously anticipated.
The decision comes as part of IRCC's 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which aims to make Canada's immigration system more responsive to labour market needs while maintaining sustainable immigration levels. Home care workers provide essential support to seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities, and demand for these programs has been extremely high, far exceeding available spaces and creating longer processing times.
By pausing intake, IRCC will focus on processing existing applications already submitted under the pilots. While this update may be disappointing for prospective applicants and their families, it is intended to prevent further inventory growth and ensure timely processing for those in the queue.
We will continue to monitor developments and share any future updates as they become available.
We will continue to monitor developments and share any future updates as they become available. If you have questions about your application or alternative immigration pathways, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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