Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway: Full Guide

Suppose you are a visitor to Canada or a refugee claimant with work experience as a Health-Care Worker (HCW). In that case, you can facilitate your immigration to Canada through Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway. In addition, this serves as an opportunity to procure a  Canadian PR card.

The current health care system in Canada is in a state of flux. Health care workers are in high demand, but the supply of qualified workers is dwindling. As a result, the government has proposed a new permanent residence pathway for health care workers to alleviate the shortage. This pathway would provide a direct path to permanent residency for health care workers who meet specific criteria.

What is HCW Permanent Residence Pathway?

Health-Care Workers Permanent Residence (HCW PR) Pathway is an immigration process that allows healthcare workers with pending/unsuccessful refugee claims to become permanent residents of Canada. Moreover, this pathway is helpful to various kinds of healthcare workers.

These include nursing coordinators & supervisors, registered nurses & registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse aides, orderlies & patient service associates, allied primary health practitioners, and some home support workers.

Besides, you need to fulfill certain conditions/criteria to qualify for Health-Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway, which enables you to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for your Canadian permanent residency.

However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) implement two (2) public policies under Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway.

The first public policy applies by IRCC to healthcare workers who intend to stay in any Canadian province/territory, with an exemption to Quebec.

In addition, the second public policy applies to healthcare workers who want to reside within Quebec. In this case, your work experience will be reviewed by Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et Intégration du Québec (MIFI).

Eligibility for HCW Permanent Residence Pathway

It would help if you met some conditions/criteria to become eligible to apply for your Canadian PR card via this pathway. These conditions include;

• Firstly, you and your family members must be admitted to Canada.

More so, you and your family must have been residing in Canada and have satisfied all medical, criminal/security, and financial criteria for Canadian permanent residency.

During your application, remember that you must list family members that reside outside Canada for future sponsorship purposes. This is because you cannot include them in your application.

• Secondly, you must have served in direct patient care in Canada for a specified number of hours during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Thirdly, you must be a resident of Canada with a pending or unsuccessful attempt for a refugee claim.

Besides, it is necessary that you have applied for the refugee claim before March 13, 2020.

• Fourthly, you need to possess a Canadian work permit after making your refugee claim
• Furthermore, it would help if you satisfied the work experience criteria in Canada’s healthcare occupations.

You also need to fulfill Quebec’s immigration and work experience criterion if you intend to settle within the province.

• Moreover, you are eligible if your spouse or common-law partner qualifies for Canada’s refugee claims and has worked in direct patient care before they passed away due to COVID-19.

However, this requires you to have been residing in Canada before August 14, 2020.

Ultimately, you can apply for Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway if you have fulfilled the above conditions.

Application fees for HCW Permanent Residence Pathway

Below are Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway application fees.

• HCW PR application fee + right of permanent residence fee: 1,050 Canadian Dollars
• Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway application fee (excluding the right of PR fee): 550 Canadian Dollars.
• Additional fee to include a dependent child: 150 Canadian Dollars
• Biometrics fees:
  • For each individual: 85 Canadian Dollars
  • Per family (2 & above): $170 Canadian Dollars

Canadian PR card through HCW

Here are Health-Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway application processes right from satisfying the eligibility criterion until you receive a decision.

• Firstly, you need to check and confirm if you qualify to apply under HCW PR Pathway.
• Secondly, you are required to inform Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) about your application and suspend your pending refugee claim.
• Thirdly, you need to refer your HCW PR Pathway application to Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration du Québec (MIFI) if you desire to reside in Quebec.

Subsequently, IRCC/MIFI will assess your work experience relevant to Canada’s healthcare sector.

• You and your family will be requested to partake in comprehensive medical examinations and criminal record checks.
• Furthermore, you must submit your HCW PR Pathways application in an envelope tagged with HCW (for non-Quebec residents) or HCWQC (for Quebec residents).
• A decision (approval/refusal) will be reached as regards your HCW PR Pathway application.

If approved, IRCC or MIFI will contact you and request you to make payments for your Canadian permanent residency (if outstanding).

Moreover, you may receive directives on whether to withdraw/cancel pending refugee claims or appeal at the Apex Court.

You also need to contact an immigration officer for validation purposes and to get your Confirmation of Permanent Residence.

In addition, you need to validate your Canadian mailing address since you will receive your permanent resident card soon.

Documents for HCW Permanent Residence Pathway

You need to download, fill out and submit the following documents to apply for your PR through the Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway COVID-19 delivery program.

• Generic Application Form for Canada
• Schedule A: Background/Declaration Form
• Document Checklist: Application Forms for Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway
• Additional Family Information Form: Permanent Residence
• Schedule 1: Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway
• Use of a Representative Form (if necessary)
• Other Dependants/Declaration Form (if required)
• Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual (if necessary).

See Also: Canada Occupational Health And Safety

FAQs Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway

Which occupation’s work experience is required for Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway?

Work experience relevant to the following healthcare occupations is eligible for HCW PR Pathway.

• 3011 – Nursing coordinators and supervisors
• 3012 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
• 3233 – Licensed practical nurses
• 3413 – Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
• 3124 – Allied primary health practitioners
• 4412 – Home support workers (selected).

Who reviews Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway applications?

Either IRCC or MIFI. Hence, IRCC reviews HCW PR Pathway applications for applicants who intend to reside in other Canadian provinces/territories (except Quebec). At the same time, MIFI handles HCW PR Pathway application assessments for applicants intending to reside in Quebec.

Is biometrics needed while applying for Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway?

Maybe, IRCC or MIFI may request you to provide your biometrics (fingerprints and photographs) during the pathway application process. IRCC/MIFI makes this decision based on whether you have previously submitted your biometrics in the last ten (10) years.

Who is disqualified from applying under Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway?

You cannot apply for PR under this pathway if your refugee claim was withdrawn, cessation, clearly baseless, considered ineligible for referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada, or was exempted based on Sections F of Article 1 of the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

Can I apply for Health-Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway if my refugee claim is declined?

Yes, you can apply through this pathway regardless of if your refugee claim was unsuccessful, as long as you have satisfied the HCW PR Pathway eligibility criterion.

Will work hours when time off count as an eligibility criterion for Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway?

Yes, IRCC or MIFI usually counts work hours for periods when you were on breaks or vacations and when you were unable to work for changing jobs.

What can cause a delay in Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway processing?

You might experience a delay in your application if;

• your contacts are inaccessible
• you have a complicated family issue regarding adoption, etc
• more criminal record checks need to be conducted on you for security reasons
• IRCC or MIFI must contact some offices within or outside Canada for verification purposes.

Can I withdraw my refugee claim?

No, you should not withdraw your refugee claim unless you have instructions.

Can I sponsor family members I did not list in my permanent residency application?

No, you cannot sponsor your family members outside Canada if you did not list them in your PR application.

Can I use it as work experience proof for HCW PR Pathway to reside outside Quebec?

• Payslips
• Letters of reference
• Employment contracts
• Document indicating your registration to a healthcare program
• Certificates of academics and training
• Receipt of union’s membership fees
• Income tax notices of assessment
• Membership proof to a local union

Conclusion

Conclusively, immigration to Canada through Health Care Workers Permanent Residence Pathway is a superb method of obtaining a Canadian PR card.

Simply by following the required processes, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration du Québec (MIFI) will issue you a letter, “Pathway to Permanent Residency for Asylum Seekers working in the Healthcare Sector”.