Commonwealth_ The highly anticipated immigration pilot programs for care workers in Canada quickly turned chaotic upon their launch. With limited spots available, the programs began accepting applications for permanent residence at 10 a.m. on Monday, targeting foreign care workers already in Canada. However, as soon as the Immigration Department’s application portal went live, the system became unresponsive, leaving applicants frustrated and unable to proceed. The application process was marred by severe technical difficulties. Many hopeful applicants found themselves unable to log in, while others who managed to access the system were abruptly logged out. Desperate to secure a spot, applicants repeatedly refreshed their screens in an attempt to submit their documents, leading to widespread confusion and frustration.
This latest immigration pilot marks the third rendition of such programs within a decade, introduced to replace previous pilot initiatives that expired after five years. Announced in June by the former immigration minister, Marc Miller, the new program aimed to provide an opportunity for foreign care workers to obtain permanent residency. However, the stringent application limits created immense pressure. The in-Canada pilot was designed to accept only 2,350 online applications for child care workers and another 2,350 for caregivers supporting individuals with medical needs. Additionally, 260 mail-in spots were allocated for each category, which were also expected to fill up rapidly.
After hours of delays and technical difficulties, some applicants eventually managed to submit their documents before the available spots were completely taken. The program officially closed by 3 p.m., leaving many care workers without an opportunity to apply. According to the Immigration Department, the demand for the program significantly outweighed the number of spaces available. While acknowledging that some applicants experienced slower processing speeds due to high volumes, officials denied that the system had crashed entirely.
In Toronto, the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change assisted care workers through the application process both in person and online. Despite their efforts, only a small number of applicants successfully completed their submissions before the system closed. For many, this meant wasted time, lost wages, and an uncertain future. The stress and anxiety surrounding the application process weighed heavily on many caregivers. Some applicants had taken time off work, believing they would have a fair chance at securing a spot. Now, they faced the grim reality of potential job loss, undocumented status, and family separation. The inability to submit an application meant that some workers risked the expiration of their work permits, while others feared their children would age out of eligibility as dependents.
The history of Canada’s caregiver immigration programs has undergone several transformations. In 2014, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, live-in work requirements were removed. However, stricter language and education criteria were introduced, along with an annual cap on the number of permanent residency applications accepted. The Liberal government inherited and later renewed the pilot programs in 2019, implementing additional adjustments. The latest version of the program sought to address some of the previous concerns by lowering language proficiency requirements and reducing the necessary work experience. Yet, these changes did little to alleviate the fundamental problem of limited spots, as the demand remained significantly higher than the availability.
For many care workers, securing permanent residency is more than just a bureaucratic process—it represents a pathway to stability, family reunification, and long-term employment security. Some applicants, like a Filipina caregiver with over a decade of experience, had dedicated their lives to looking after elderly patients, hoping that this program would allow them to reunite with their children. The failure to secure a spot left her feeling frustrated and uncertain about whether she could renew her work permit, particularly given the unpredictable nature of caregiving jobs.
Others, such as long-term caregivers from Jamaica who had been caring for individuals with dementia and special needs since 2012, viewed the program as a long-awaited opportunity to regain legal status in Canada. Some caregivers even went as far as completing English-language exams to meet the eligibility criteria, only to be met with disappointment as they were unable to submit their applications before the system closed.
