Japan Immigration News

Ottawa reverses course on immigration programs for caregivers

Release Date: 2026-01-01
Media: The Globe and Mail
Summary: Canada’s federal government will suspend the Home Care Worker Immigration pilot programs starting in 2026, ending a decades-long practice of offering caregivers a dedicated pathway to permanent residency. The government says demand far exceeded the annual cap of 5,500 applicants and that the pause is needed to focus on clearing existing backlogs, with no plans to reopen the program in 2026.

The decision comes despite growing labour shortages in health care and rising demand for in-home care driven by Canada’s aging population. Critics, including researchers and migrant-worker advocates, warn the suspension will hurt families who rely on caregivers and leave many foreign care workers—already in Canada on temporary permits—without a long-term option to stay, forcing them to leave or risk falling out of status. The move is part of a broader shift by Ottawa to tighten immigration in response to housing and cost-of-living pressures, but it has sparked strong backlash over its social and economic consequences.
Tags

News Articles including ""

Released on

Article Title

Tags

2025-05-21

Japan, South Korea to Establish Priority Immigration Lanes(JIJI PRESS)

Landing Examination

2025-05-20

Myanmar workers head to Japan as turmoil deepens at home(NIKKEI Asia)

Myanmar

2025-05-20

Family of woman who died in immigration custody demands full release of video(NHK)

Court

2025-05-19

Exclusive immigration checkpoints with Japan to start in June(KOREA.net)

Landing Examination

2025-05-13

Japan eyes skilled worker visas for waste, warehouse management(NIKKEI Asia)

Specified Skilled Worker

2025-05-06

Japan struggles to address burial needs of growing Muslim population(NIKKEI Asia)

Coexistence

2025-05-06

Visitors to Japan troubled by congestion and immigration procedures(NHK)

Landing Examination

2025-04-28

Japan is opening up to immigration – but is it welcoming immigrants?(The Week)

Coexistence

2025-04-25

Associations voice greater need to recognize Japan’s foreign residents(KYODO NEWS)

Coexistence,Immigration Policy

2025-04-25

Visa Screening for Foreign Nationals Moved Up to 2028(JAPAN Forward)

Landing Examination

2025-04-23

Japan to introduce new authentication system to strengthen immigration checks(NHK)

Landing Examination

2025-04-19

Japan's growing Muslim population exposes gaps in support(NIKKEI Asia)

Coexistence

2025-04-17

Japan govt. ordered to compensate man mistreated by immigration officials(NHK)

Court

2025-04-12

Japan firm seeks to ease hiring process for foreign truck drivers(NIKKEI Asia)

Specified Skilled Worker

2025-03-26

Japan's Imabari Shipbuilding Loses Technical Intern Certification(nippon.com)

Technical Intern Training

2025-03-25

3 Japan airports to use unified gates for immigration, customs checks(KYODO NEWS)

Landing Examination

2025-03-23

Japan trucking sector eyes drivers from Indonesia, Vietnam amid shortage(NIKKEI Asia)

Specified Skilled Worker

2025-03-21

JAPAN – Introduction of pre-entry tuberculosis screening.(Newland Chase)

Residence Application

2025-03-15

Japan foreign population grows twice as fast as expected on worker influx(NIKKEI Asia)

Population

2025-03-02

Burial woes deepen for Japan's elderly foreign residents(NIKKEI Asia)

Coexistence

2025-02-28

Foreign Entrepreneurs Find Life in Japan Tangled in Red Tape(Yahoo Finance)

Business Manager

2025-02-27

Japan top court finalizes government damages over Cameroon detainee death(The Mainichi)

Court

2025-02-27

Japan top court rejects Kurdish asylum seeker's appeal in abuse case(The Mainichi)

Court

2025-02-22

Indonesian bus driver to be first to work under new Japan visa status(NIKKEI Asia)

Specified Skilled Worker

2025-02-19

Japan | Mandatory tuberculosis screening introduced(BAL)

Residence Application

2025-02-15

Facing deportation despite Japan upbringing, kids falling through immigration system gaps(The Mainichi)

Special Permission to Stay

2025-02-12

Japan Inc. pursues multilingual foreign students in global push(NIKKEI Asia)

Student

2025-01-31

Japan's immigration processing fees to rise starting April 1(Japan Times)

Residence Application

2025-01-28

Immigration Systems in Labor-Needy Japan and South Korea Have Evolved—but Remain Restrictive(Migration Policy Institute)

Immigration Policy

2025-01-28

Kids learn about coexistence with foreigners at gov't-held class in east Japan(The Mainichi)

Coexistence,

2025-01-28

A Fresh Take on Japan’s Labor Immigration Policy: OECD Report Offers Partial Defense of TITP(nippon.com)

Technical Intern Training

2025-01-16

Chinese residents in Osaka double over decade, buying homes(NIKKEI Asia)

Population,China

2025-01-11

Rising anti-Kurd hate in Japan's Saitama Pref. fueled by online agitation, outside groups(The Mainichi)

Kurdish,Refugee Status

2025-01-09

Japan | Fee increases and startup visa stay duration extensions(BAL)

Residence Application

2024-12-29

Breaking Down Japan's Immigration System From a Former Insider's Perspective(JAPAN Forward)

Immigration Policy

2024-12-25

Japan's Refugee Debate: What Does the Data Reveal?(JAPAN Forward)

Refugee Status

2024-12-24

Most of Japan's skilled foreign workers who quit do so within a year()

Specified Skilled Worker

2024-12-17

Japan begins process to replace controversial foreign trainee program(Japan Times)

Technical Intern Training,Training employment

2024-12-15

Indian-born CEO of Japanese company says nation needs immigration to thrive(Japan Times)

Immigration Policy

2024-12-05

Canada Christmas stimulus, immigration curbs cast more doubt on fiscal targets(Reuters)

Canada's fiscal targets are becoming harder to achieve due to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent promise of a Christmas handout and immigration cuts that are expected to reduce economic growth. Other pressures include increased defense spending commitments, potential U.S. tariffs, and election-year spending temptations.

2024-12-03

How To Verify Refugee Status? Justice Minister Avoids Comment on Reinvestigation(JAPAN Forward)

Refugee Status

2024-12-03

Sealed Report on Refugee Claims of Some Kurds Raises Questions(JAPAN Forward)

Kurdish,Refugee Status

2024-12-02

Portugal's misleading immigration claims fact-checked(euronews)

The issue of immigration has been a target for misinformation across Europe, including in Portugal. André Ventura, leader of the far-right Chega party, has linked immigration to rising crime, claiming that 20% of Portugal's prisoners and 30% of arrests involve foreigners. However, official data shows discrepancies with these claims.

2024-11-24

Opinion: Law to revoke visa status over tax arrears irks Japan permanent residents(The Mainichi)

Permanent Resident, Immigration Law

2024-11-23

Japan Job Market Points to Shift on Immigration(Newsweek)

Immigration Policy, Specified Skilled Worker

2024-11-14

Opening Borders For Workers: Abe’s Profound Influence On Japan’s Immigration Regime(eurasia review)

Immigration Policy

2024-11-11

Japan to share entry costs, ease job-changing restrictions for Vietnamese workers(VNE Express)

Technical Intern Training, Vietnam