A Detailed Guide On The Agri-Food Pilot Program
The agri-food pilot program aims to fill labor shortages within the agri-food sector and help meet Canada’s ambitious export targets. The agriculture and agri-food industry are integral contributors to Canada’s economic growth and vitality, supporting around one in eight jobs in Canada.
The objective is to help the agri-food sector attract and retain full-time, non-seasonal foreign/ international workers needed to fill growing labor gaps. This new pilot aims to attract and retain workers by offering them the opportunity to become permanent residents after an initial two-year stint on a temporary work permit instead of repeatedly renewing their work permits.
A maximum of 2,750 applicants, along with family members, will be accepted for processing in any given year.
Who Is Eligible For Canada’s Agri-Food Pilot Program?
In order to be eligible for the agri-food pilot program, foreign workers must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Have a qualifying job offer
- Have qualifying work experience
- Meet/ exceed the minimum language requirements
- Meet/ exceed the educational requirements
- Prove you have sufficient money to settle in the community
- Have maintained valid temporary resident status
Let us discuss them in detail.
1. Qualifying Job Offer
You must have a genuine employment offer from a Canadian employer. The offer should:
- Be full-time, non-seasonal, and permanent.
- Be in an eligible occupation in an eligible industry.
- For unionized positions, the wage should be determined by the applicable collective agreement.
- For non-unionized positions, the wage should meet/ exceed the Job Bank’s wage for your job offer’s profession in the province of employment.
- Be in Canada but outside the province of Quebec.
2. Qualifying Work Experience
You must have a minimum of one year of Canadian work experience. This Canadian work experience must be:
- Non-seasonal
- In an eligible profession within an eligible industry
- Through the Temporary Foreign Worker program
- Through an Open Work Permit (OPW) for applicants considered vulnerable workers
3. Minimum Language Requirements
You must score a minimum of CLB, i.e., Canadian Language Benchmark of Level 4 on approved language tests in either French or English.
4. Minimum Education Requirements
Minimum completed level of education equal to a Canadian high school diploma. Also, a valid ECA should support education completed outside Canada.
5. Settlement Funds Requirements
You must prove that you have sufficient money to support yourself and your family members upon settlement in Canada. Moreover, people already working in Canada with a valid work permit aren’t required to provide proof of funds. In case you are not already working in the nation, the settlement funds requirement is as follows:
| Number Of Family Members | Required Funds |
| Single Applicant | CAD 14,690 |
| 2 | CAD 18,288 |
| 3 | CAD 22,483 |
| 4 | CAD 27,297 |
| 5 | CAD 30,690 |
| 6 | CAD 34,914 |
| 7 | CAD 38,875 |
| For Each Additional Family Member | CAD 3,958 |
How To Apply For Canada’s Agri-Food Pilot Program?
If you meet the program requirements listed above, you can submit your application for PR status directly to IRCC.
To apply, you will need to compile a detailed application guide and forms available on the official Agri-Food Immigration pilot webpage. You will also need to provide documentary evidence that you meet all program requirements.
How Does The Agri-Food Pilot Program?
Employers in the agri-food sector who will participate in the pilot program are eligible for a two-year Labor Market Impact Assessment.
Moreover, to complement the pilot, ESDC is introducing changes which will benefit meat processor employers who are supporting temporary foreign workers in transitioning to PR, i.e., permanent residence:
- A two-year LMIA will be issued to eligible meat processor employers, like employers who are using the Agri-Food Pilot program or other existing pathways to permanent residents for temporary foreign workers in the same professions and industries that are eligible for the pilot.
- To be eligible, meat processors will need to highlight their plans to support their temporary foreign workers in obtaining permanent residency. Further, unionized meat processors will need a letter of support from their union.
- Non-unionized meat processors need to meet additional requirements to ensure the protection of the labor market and migrant workers.
- Employers with a recent history of recruiting workers who have transitioned to permanent residence can be eligible to be excluded from the limit calculation, several workers equal to the number who can achieve permanent residence in the near term.
- Adjustments will also be made to the calculation of the limit on low-wage temporary foreign workers, taking into account employers’ efforts to help workers obtain permanent residence.
Conclusion
The Agri-Food Pilot program in Canada aims to address acute labor shortages in the agricultural sector by providing a pathway to PR, i.e., permanent residency for experienced, non-seasonal workers in specific industries. Moreover, this initiative enhances workforce stability, supports the agricultural economy, and contributes to food safety. Also, by facilitating the retention of skilled labor, the program helps to sustain and grow Canada’s agri-food sector. Thus, the agri-food pilot program represents a strategic effort to bolster the agricultural workforce, ensuring the continued prosperity and resilience of this integral industry in Canada.