Agricultural Immigration Pilot is an effort by the government to attract highly educated and skilled foreign agricultural workers who, with little formal education, have been unable to stay in Canada due to a lack of sufficient eligibility for the country's economic immigration programs.
Through the new Agri-Food project, experienced full-time, non-seasonal workers will be attracted and retained in Canada who can be economically established. The idea is to provide them with an opportunity to become PR instead of having to renew their work permits repeatedly whether to continue working for a longer period of time or to work for a different employer.
Eligible Industries and Eligible Occupations
- Meat product manufacturing (NAICS 3116)
- NOC B 6331 – Retail butchers
- NOC C 9462 – Industrial butchers
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC D 9617 – Food processing labourers
- Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production (NAICS 1114)
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC C 8431 – General farm workers
- NOC D 8611 – Harvesting labourers
- Animal production, excluding aquaculture (NAICS 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124 or 1129)
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC C 8431 – General farm workers
Applicant Requirements:
The candidate must fulfill the following requirements:
- 12 months of full time non-seasonal Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation in processing meat products, raising livestock, growing mushrooms or greenhouse crops
- Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 (English or French)
- High School or greater (Canadian equivalency)
- Indeterminate job offer for full time non-seasonal work outside Quebec at or above prevailing wage
- Unless already working legally in Canada at the time of applying, worker must prove to have enough money to support family members, even if they’re not coming to Canada with them (50% of the low-income cut-off totals for the year they apply)
Employer Requirements:
The employer must fulfill the following requirements:
- is active in the field of agriculture or the food industry;
- can offer you the salary and benefits they promise you;
- offers you a full-time permanent job in one of the categories mentioned earlier;
- has obeyed all the employment laws and regulations in Canada; and
- Genuinely needs you to fill the position.
Agri-Food immigration jobs and their caps:
Under the Agri-Food Immigration pilot program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) anticipate processing a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants each year. It is estimated that approximately 16,500 new permanent residents will be welcomed to Canada by the program over the pilot's three-year duration.