Interim Pathway for Caregivers (IPC) Canada
Marija is working in Canada as a home support worker. She is originally from Slovenia. Marija’s employers hired her to take care of their ailing father. As an experienced nurse, Marija had accumulated five years of work experience in her hometown of Celje. Of course, she knows the English language relatively well. Her employers are Slovenian-Canadian. Therefore, she can communicate with their father easily. Further to the story, Marija landed in Canada on January 12, 2018. She wonders if she can apply for permanent residency.
The Government of Canada has announced the Interim Pathway for Caregivers (IPC). Consequently, if you qualify, you may apply for permanent residency under this program.
Acceptable Jobs for the Interim Pathway for Caregivers (IPC)
The Government accepts IPC applications only if your job experience falls under the following job classifications
NOC # 4412: Home Support Workers
People who work under this category, provide support to seniors, sick children, and people with disabilities. Keep in mind; the worker needs to work at the client’s home. Unfortunately, housekeeping does not count. Typical job duties for this group include the following:
- Offer bedside care such as bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, and helping the patient get off the bed every now and again
- Be a companion for the client and their family
- Prepare meals for the client and feed them
- Take care of some housekeeping routines such as making beds and laundry
- Be responsible for some healthcare services such as administration of medication or collecting specimens for the healthcare providing agency
NOC # 4411: Home Child Care Providers
This group of employees take care of children who are 18 years old or younger. The employee may or may not stay at the employer’s home. As a result, they may do any of the following:
- If the child is an infant, feed the child, change the diapers, prepare the formulas, and bathe the infant
- Supervise the children and oversee their activities
- Make sure the children take care of their hygiene
- Provide a safe environment at home
- Plan, prepare and serve meals to children
- Take children to their doctor’s appointments and school or school bus
- Help with other relevant duties
Minimum Work Experience
The applicant needs to show they have at least twelve months of work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014. The work experience needs to meet the following requirements:
- Be full-time (i.e. at least 30 hours per week)
- Be under the “Home Support Workers” or “Home Child Care Providers” categories
- Meet the majority of job duties under the NOC codes
- It could be under one group or a combination of both classes
- As mentioned earlier, it needs to be at least 12 months
- The applicant must have had a valid work permit while working in Canada
Current Status in Canada
You must hold a valid work permit while applying for the IPC (Interim Pathway for Caregivers). Luckily, you may still apply if your work permit recently expired, but you applied for an extension or restoration of the work permit. Of course, if IRCC has refused your extension or restoration request, you may not apply. Also if your work permit is under the live-in caregiver program, you may not apply.
To emphasize, if you are either inside or outside Canada and do not hold a valid work permit to Canada you may not apply.
Education
The applicant needs to hold at least a high school diploma to apply. Consequently, if your training is from outside Canada, you need to get a report from the following organizations. The report requires to attest the equivalency of your education to a Canadian secondary diploma or higher.
- World Education Services
- International Credential Evaluation Service
- International Qualifications Assessment Service
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
The ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) process is time-consuming. If you have not initiated this yet, you have to act quickly.
Language Requirements
You need to take at least one of the following tests.
- CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (Only CELPIP General is acceptable. Don’t take General-LS)
- IELTS: International English Language Testing System (Only IELTS General is acceptable. Don’t take IELTS Academic)
- TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
- TCF Canada: Test de Connaissance du français
You only need to attend one of the tests per language. If you present multiple test results under the same language, the officer considers the latest test results. They won’t combine the results. The following table shows the minimum acceptable scores.
| Test | Language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
| CELPIP | English | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| IELTS General | English | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| TEF Canada | French | 226 | 181 | 151 | 226 |
| TCF Canada | French | 6 | 369 | 375 | 6 |
Who May Apply?
You may only apply if you meet all of the following requirements:
- Valid status in Canada
- Minimum work experience
- Necessary education credentials
- Minimum language requirements
- Acceptable job category
Read the previous sections of this article for more information about any of these categories.
When to Apply?
You may submit your application from March 4, 2019, to June 4, 2019. IRCC do not accept applications outside these three months.
Hire Us to Help You!
If you meet all the requirements and would like to hire me to help you with the process fill out the following form.
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If you wish to visit or move to Canada or if you have encountered any issues with the immigration authorities, you may fill out our free assessment form or book a consultation session to assess your potential opportunities or offer you immigration, visa, or citizenship advice.
Al Parsai, MA, DTM, RCIC
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Disclaimer:
This article provides information of a general nature only. It may no longer be current. It does not give legal advice nor should you rely on it as legal advice. If you have specific legal questions, you should consult a lawyer. If you are looking for immigration advice, book an appointment. All the characters in the articles are fictional, unless otherwise clearly stated. Any resemblance in names, dates, and places (whether individuals, organizations, regions, or countries) is coincidental.
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