Citizenship and Immigration Canada has implemented a new policy, effective immediately,  that allows for the issuance of open work permits to live-in-caregivers who have fulfilled their conditions and have submitted a permanent resident application. The open work permit in this circumstance may be valid for a period of up to four years, depending on the validity of the passport of the candidate.

In the past, these candidates would have to have passed approval-in-principle prior to being eligible to seek an open work permit. However, this may take many months, forcing the individual to continue to reside in the home of the employer. Recognizing that this is a potential inconvenience, and due to increases in backlogs for approval-in-principle, the government has adopted this new policy to reduce the burden on candidates and employers.