On May 31, the Immigration Minister of Canada, Sean Fraser, declared that IRCC would launch agriculture & agri-food professions for category-based selection draws for Express Entry applicants.
IRCC will prioritize Express Entry candidates who have a strong French language capability/ proficiency of work experience in the following fields:
- Healthcare
- STEM professions
- Trade
- Transport
- Agriculture/ Agri-Food
These professions were selected after IRCC obtained data regarding acute labor shortages. In addition, IRCC also consulted with stakeholders, partners & territorial & provincial governments across the nation.
On June 28, IRCC held its first category-based Express Entry draw, inviting over 500 healthcare professionals for PR. Similarly, on July 5, IRCC held a category-based draw, wherein 500 applicants were invited to STEM occupations.
Furthermore, on July 6, a third round of category-based draws took place, wherein over 1,500 healthcare professionals were invited to apply for PR.
Why Were Agriculture & Agri-Food Professions Chosen?
IRCC conducted consultations to inform immigration selection categories & priorities, which involved collecting feedback & recommendations from a wide range of stakeholders as well as the public. IRCC also engaged with territorial & provincial representations to learn about the potential needs & priorities.
The respondents asserted that agriculture & agri-food professions were one of the four areas which were experiencing the greatest needs.
At the end of 2022, the Forestry, Agriculture, Fishing, & Hunting category had a job vacancy rate of over 10,535. The vacancies in every province were as follows:
- Ontario: 3,070
- British Columbia: 2,475
- Manitoba: 550
- PEI: 130
- Quebec: 1,950
- Alberta: 940
- New Brunswick: 720
- Nova Scotia: 425
- Saskatchewan: 540
What Are Agriculture & Agri-Food Professions?
There are three professions in the agriculture & agri-food category. These include:
- Supervisors & contractors, ground maintenance, landscaping, & horticulture services
- Butchers – Retail & Wholesale
- Farm supervisors & agriculture service contractors
What Are Eligibility Requirements For This Category?
In order to be eligible for agriculture & agri-food professions, an applicant must:
- Meet the eligibility criteria of one of the Express Entry programs, i.e., CEC, FSTP, & FSWP.
- Have accumulated at least six months of relevant work experience in listed professions over the last three years.
- Meet all other requirements for the round.
How Will Express Entry Category-Based Invitation Rounds Be Selected?
IRCC will send invitations to applicants in category-based Express Entry draws to apply for PR if they are eligible for a particular category. This criterion includes:
- Relevant work experience in specific TEER category of NOC
- Education
- Language capabilities in French/ English
How Will The CRS Scores Be Calculated?
Category-based draws will take place along with program-specific & general draws. Express Entry draws invite top-ranking applicants who can help meet the Canadian job market & labor vacancies, thus fulfilling the nation’s economic goals.
The Express Entry pool applicants are ranked using CRS, i.e., the Comprehensive Ranking System. In this system, the applicants are ranked based on education, age, language capabilities, work experience, etc.
An applicant’s CRS score will be central for category-based draws. In addition, IRCC will send ITAs to applicants who have high-ranking scores & who are eligible for the category-based draws