Canada Caregiver PR Document Checklist (IMM 0270 Guide)

You've done the work. You've logged your hours, kept every pay stub, and built a life in Canada. The last thing you want is for a missing document — something IRCC lists on page four of an obscure PDF — to derail your permanent residency application after all that.

The official checklist for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots is IMM 0270. But the form itself is a starting point, not a complete picture. IRCC auditors look for consistency across your entire file. A reference letter that doesn't match your T4 amounts. A job title that doesn't line up with NOC 44100 or 44101. An ECA that expired three months before you submitted. Any of these can trigger a Return Without Processing — meaning you lose time and pay the fees again.

This is the checklist you actually need.

Identity and Civil Status Documents

Start with the basics and make sure every document is certified and current.

• Valid passport — must cover the entire period of your Canadian work experience and have at least 6 months remaining validity
• Birth certificate — for yourself and all dependants you are including in the application
• Marriage certificate or proof of common-law relationship — if applicable; must be legally issued in the country of origin
• Police certificates — required for every country where you lived for 6 months or more since age 18 (see our separate post on police clearances for specifics)
• Medical exam results — completed by an IRCC-designated panel physician; results are submitted directly to IRCC and do not need to be included in your package, but you must note the date and the physician

If you are from the Philippines, you also need your Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) as proof of lawful departure, and an NBI Clearance as your police certificate. NBI clearances are issued within a few weeks for most applicants, but those with a "Hit" on record (often just a name match, not a criminal record) can face delays. Apply early.

Language Test Results

Your test must show you meet at least CLB 4 in all four abilities: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The 2025–2026 pilots lowered the threshold from CLB 5 to CLB 4, which helps more caregivers qualify.

Acceptable tests: IELTS General Training or CELPIP for English; TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French.

The CLB 4 equivalents on IELTS General Training are: Listening 4.5, Reading 3.5, Writing 4.0, Speaking 4.0.

Critical detail: Your test results must be less than two years old at the time IRCC receives your application. If your test date falls outside that window, retake it before you apply — no exceptions.

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

You need a minimum Canadian high school diploma equivalency. IRCC requires the assessment to be done by a designated agency:

• WES (World Education Services)
• IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service)
• ICES (International Credential Evaluation Service)

The ECA must state explicitly that your credentials are equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma or higher. It must also be issued within five years of your application date.

A common mistake: applicants include an ECA that says "equivalent to some secondary school in Canada" without the full diploma equivalency. If the wording is ambiguous, contact the assessing body and ask for clarification or a revised letter before you apply.

Work Experience Documentation — The Section That Decides Your Application

This is where most applications succeed or fail. IRCC needs to verify that you worked at least 6 months (or 12 months under some older pilot streams) of full-time qualifying caregiving experience — minimum 30 hours per week — in an eligible occupation (NOC 44100 for child care, NOC 44101 for home support work with seniors or persons with disabilities).

The "paper trail" IRCC expects to see:

From your employer:

• Reference letter on official letterhead — must include your full name, job title (matching the NOC description), start and end dates, hours worked per week, and a specific list of duties that align with NOC 44100 or 44101. Vague letters ("she was a good caregiver") are a primary cause of delays. The duties need to match what Statistics Canada lists under the NOC profile.
• Employment contract — the original signed copy showing the agreed hours and wage

From official records:

• T4 tax slips — one for each tax year your employment spans
• Notices of Assessment (NOA) — from CRA, confirming the income declared on your T4 matches what you were paid
• Pay stubs — ideally all of them, but at minimum one per month for the qualifying period; must show CPP and EI deductions
• Record of Employment (ROE) — if you left any position, the employer must issue an ROE; include all ROEs for the qualifying period

If you worked for more than one employer during your qualifying period, you need all of the above from every employer. Missing documentation from even one period will create a gap that IRCC will question.

If your experience was gained outside Canada: You need equivalent proof — an employment contract, a detailed reference letter with duties, and evidence of pay (bank statements or foreign payslips).

If you want a structured way to track and prepare every document well before you apply, the Canada Caregiver Program Guide includes a day-by-day tracking worksheet designed around exactly what IRCC auditors look for.

Job Offer Documents (For Those Applying With an Active Offer)

If you are applying under a stream that requires a current job offer:

• Written job offer letter — on employer letterhead, signed by both you and the employer
• Employer's Business Number (BN) — Canadian families hiring caregivers must obtain a CRA Business Number before submitting an LMIA
• LMIA approval letter — if applicable; not required under the PR-on-arrival stream but required under the TFWP route

The job offer must specify a minimum of 30 hours per week, a wage at or above the prevailing rate for the region, and duties that match the NOC code you are applying under.

Settlement Funds (Applicants Applying from Abroad)

If you are applying from outside Canada and do not yet have a job offer locked in, you must show settlement funds. As of 2026, the approximate amounts are:

• Single applicant: ~$14,690 CAD
• Family of two: ~$18,280 CAD
• Family of four: ~$27,297 CAD

Those already employed in Canada are generally exempt from this requirement.

IMM 0270: How to Use the Form

The IMM 0270 is the official document checklist published by IRCC for the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots. Download the most current version from canada.ca — do not use a copy someone emailed you or posted in a Facebook group, as it may be outdated.

Work through the form section by section, marking off each item as you gather it. When you are ready to apply, the IMM 0270 becomes your cover page. IRCC's processing officers use it to verify your submission is complete before opening the file. A missing item flagged on the IMM 0270 results in Return Without Processing.

Once you have everything gathered, do a second pass: check dates on every document (language test, ECA, police certificates), verify that names match across all documents exactly (a maiden name on a birth certificate that differs from a married name on a passport creates questions), and confirm that your employer's reference letter duties list matches the NOC profile word-for-word where possible.

Final Checklist Summary

Identity: Passport, birth certificates, marriage certificate, police certificates, medical exam (panel physician)

Language: IELTS/CELPIP/TEF/TCF results, less than 2 years old, CLB 4 minimum

Education: ECA from WES, IQAS, or ICES, less than 5 years old, Canadian high school equivalency

Work Experience: Reference letters (specific duties, NOC-matching), T4 slips, NOAs, pay stubs, ROEs, employment contracts — for every employer and every period

Job Offer (if applicable): Offer letter, employer BN, LMIA (if TFWP route)

Settlement Funds (if abroad): Bank statements showing required amounts

Preparing this file is the most important work you will do in the entire caregiver immigration process. The Canada Caregiver Program Guide walks through each document requirement in detail and includes reference letter templates that align with IRCC's current NOC 44100/44101 expectations — so you are not guessing at the wording when it matters most.

See more Canada guides →