Race to login first for Canada's permanent residency pilot 'like the hunger games'

For Ghinger Marie Lastimosa, becoming a permanent resident would allow her to finally call Canada home for good.

"I feel like I'm at home," Lastimosa told CBC Toronto.

"I love staying here."

The 49-year-old moved here in 2022 with her husband and is working as a home support worker to a senior in Scarborough under a work permit. Lastimosa – a registered nurse in the Philippines – now has two years of work experience in the sector.

On Monday, applications open for an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) pilot program that could grant workers like Lastimosa permanent residency — an end goal that is typically challenging for many due to extensive requirements and lengthy waits.

"I really feel anxious because … I know a lot of us are waiting for this opportunity," said Lastimosa.

Next week's Home Care Worker Immigration pilot invites home-care workers to apply, however, it's running on a first come, first served basis and is capped at 2,750 spots in each of its two streams – one for child care workers, the other for home support workers. According to the IRCC, the pilot closes as soon as those spots are filled.

While immigration experts in the GTA are welcoming the program, some say the way it's being administered is creating anxiety among applicants who worry technical glitches or issues with the internet might take them out of the running for a dream they've been working toward for years.

Advocates say they'd like IRCC to allow everyone to apply and then assess applications on a merit-based system.

Lastimosa says she has her paperwork ready to go, but she worries the competition will be steep – especially since the IRCC has lowered the requirements for those eligible from last year, which was the last time this pilot launched. 

Applicants now only need to have at least six months of recent work experience or have completed six months of training, compared to last year when two years of work experience was required. The language proficiency requirements are also lower, and all applicants must have a valid job offer from a private home or from an eligible organization that hires home-care workers.

"This one is a little more open to everybody," Lastimosa said.

"It is a golden ticket for everyone who is looking forward to this for a long time."

Immigration experts, including Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, say countless others across the country also have their eyes on that golden ticket — and tensions are high.