In the 2019 budget, the Federal government committed to introducing an Agri-Food Immigration Pilot to help fill labour shortages in agricultural industries. The three-year pilot is set to open to new applications in early 2020.
The Agri-Food pilot offers a pathway to permanent residence for agricultural workers in Canada. In recent years, Canadian agriculture and agri-food industries have struggled to fill labour shortages and workers have had to rely on short-term, seasonal work permits in order to find employment. The pilot aims to attract and retain workers by offering a pathway to permanent residence in Canada, allowing workers and their families to work and live in Canada for as long as they like.
A maximum of 2,750 principal applicants and their families will be accepted per year. This represents a total of 16,500 possible new permanent residents over the 3-year duration of the pilot.
Agricultural employers participating in the pilot will be eligible for a 2-year Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Agri-Food Pilot Program Requirements
To be eligible to participate in the pilot, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Work experience: 12 months of full-time, non-seasonal Canadian work experience in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in an eligible occupation in processing meat products, raising livestock, or growing mushrooms or greenhouse crops
- Language: A Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in English or French
- Education: Canadian equivalency of high-school level or greater
- Job offer: an indeterminate job offer for full-time, non-seasonal work in Canada, outside of Quebec, at or above the prevailing wage
We can expect further details on how individuals may apply for permanent residence in early 2020.
For enquiries, you can fill out our free assessment form and get a consultation slot here.
