Family Sponsorship
Caregiver Processing Time
About 36,400 people waiting · IRCC data as of October 9, 2026
Caregiver pathways give home child-care providers and home support workers a route to permanent residence based on Canadian work experience in caregiving occupations.
IRCC has run several iterations of these programs — most recently the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots launched in 2025 — and the processing time tracked here reflects the caregiver permanent residence inventory as IRCC reports it.
Processing Time History
| Date | Processing Time (months) |
|---|---|
| January 14, 2026 | 97 |
| February 12, 2026 | 87 |
| March 9, 2026 | 85 |
| April 7, 2026 | 84 |
| May 12, 2026 | 82 |
| June 8, 2026 | 80 |
| July 7, 2026 | 79 |
| August 10, 2026 | 78 |
| September 3, 2026 | 77 |
| October 9, 2026 | 77 |
People Ahead by Application Month
IRCC also publishes how many applications submitted in each month are still ahead of you in the Caregiver queue.
| Month | People Ahead |
|---|---|
| 2024/10 | 24700 |
| 2024/11 | 24700 |
| 2024/12 | 24700 |
| 2025/01 | 24700 |
| 2025/02 | 24700 |
| 2025/03 | 34800 |
| 2025/04 | 36400 |
| 2025/05 | 36400 |
| 2025/06 | 36400 |
| 2025/07 | 36400 |
| 2025/08 | 36400 |
| 2025/09 | 36400 |
| 2025/10 | 36400 |
| 2025/11 | 36400 |
| 2025/12 | 36400 |
| 2026/01 | 36400 |
| 2026/02 | 36400 |
| 2026/03 | 36400 |
| 2026/04 | 36400 |
| 2026/05 | 36400 |
| 2026/06 | 36400 |
| 2026/07 | 36400 |
| 2026/08 | 36400 |
| 2026/09 | 36400 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Caregiver take right now?
As of October 9, 2026, IRCC reports a processing time of about 77 months for Caregiver applications, with about 36,400 people waiting.
Which caregiver program does this number cover?
IRCC publishes a single processing time for the caregiver permanent residence category, which spans the pilots currently accepting applications and legacy files still in the queue from earlier programs.
Do caregivers need Canadian work experience to apply?
Under the 2025 Home Care Worker pilots, applicants with a qualifying job offer can be granted permanent residence on arrival without prior Canadian experience — a major change from earlier programs that required 24 months of Canadian caregiving work first.