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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.
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