Explore Your Path to Permanent Residency through the Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program.
The Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program is a new initiative that aims to address labor shortages in certain industries and professions within the agri-food sector.
The program provides a pathway to permanent residency for skilled, non-seasonal workers in this sector, including those working in meat processing, greenhouse and nursery production, and animal production.
The Agri-Food Pilot Program is open to foreign nationals who meet the eligibility criteria and have at least one year of full-time, non-seasonal work experience in a qualifying occupation within the last three years.
For 2023, only 2,750 applications will be accepted for permanent residence through the Agri-Food Pilot Program.
A maximum of 2,750 applications will be accepted for permanent residence through this program in 2023, so it’s important for interested individuals to act quickly in order to secure a spot.
Benefits of the Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program
Obtaining permanent residency through the Agri-Food Pilot Program can provide numerous benefits, including:
- The ability to live, work, and study in Canada on a permanent basis.
- The opportunity to bring your spouse or common-law partner and any dependent children to Canada.
- The possibility of eventually becoming a Canadian citizen, if you meet the necessary requirements.
- Access to Canada’s universal healthcare system and other social services.
- The ability to travel freely in and out of Canada.
The Agri-Food Pilot Program is a unique opportunity for skilled, non-seasonal workers in the agri-food sector to make Canada their permanent home.
Eligible industries and occupations under the Canada Agri-Food Pilot include:
- Retail butchers
- Farm supervisors and skilled livestock workers
- Nursery, greenhouse, and floriculture production, including mushroom production
- General agricultural workers
- Animal production, excluding aquaculture
- General agricultural workers
- Manufacture of meat products
- Industrial butchers
- Food processing workers
- Farm supervisors and skilled livestock workers
- Day laborers
- Farm supervisors and skilled livestock workers
Who is eligible for the Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program?
In order to be eligible for the Agri-Food Pilot Program, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must have at least one year of full-time, non-seasonal work experience in a qualifying occupation within the last three years. Qualifying occupations include those in meat processing, greenhouse and nursery production, and animal production. A complete list of eligible occupations can be found on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.
- You must meet the required language proficiency level in English or French. This is determined by taking an approved language test and achieving a certain score.
- You must have completed a Canadian post-secondary credential or have an equivalent foreign credential, as well as the necessary licensing or certification to work in your occupation in Canada (if applicable).
- You must meet the minimum income requirements in order to support yourself and any dependents in Canada. This is determined by the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) threshold set by the IRCC.
- You must be able to provide evidence of your work experience, language proficiency, education, and any necessary licensing or certification.
- You must pass medical, security, and criminal background checks.
What is relevant work experience for Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program?
Relevant Canadian work experience includes:
- 1 year of non-seasonal full-time work in the past three years which must equal 1,560 hours.
- Work in one or more eligible occupations listed under one of the eligible industries.
- Through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program; A Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) with a duration of at least 12 months is submitted by the applicant’s employer.
What counts as working Hours for Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program?
The following count as working hours for the agri-food pilot program:
- All hours worked full-time legally in Canada. This can be in different eligible occupations and can also be from multiple employers.
- All working hours must have been completed within the last 03 years and at least 30 hours of full-time work per week with at least 1560 hours over the period of complete 12 months in total. (Note working more hours will not cut short the complete 12 months requirements)
The following do NOT count as working hours:
- Hours completed as volunteer work or unpaid internships.
- Hours during self-employment.
- Part-time and seasonal work hours
- Hours that are not authorized by the IRCC by not having legal status or work authorization.
What kind of job offer is needed for Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program?
To apply for the pilot program the applicant must have a valid and eligible job offer meeting the following requirements:
- The job is listed under the eligible occupation list under one of the eligible industries.
- The job must be full-time (a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week)
- The job is non-seasonal and consistent throughout the year.
- The job is permanent.
- All unionized positions must have wages determined by the applicable collective agreement.
- All non-unionized positions must have wages that meet or exceed the Job Bank’s prevailing median wage for the particular occupation according to the provincial rate.
- The job offer must be in Canada however, except in the province of Quebec.
Language requirements:
- a minimum of level 4 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, in the Canadian language benchmark called (CLB).
- You must present the results of an approved language test (for example, IELTS, CELPIP, TEF)
- These results must be less than 2 years old on the date of your request
Educational Requirements for the Canada Agri-Food Pilot Program:
All applicants must meet educational requirements for the agri-food pilot, such as:
- Have a Canadian high school diploma or
- Have an educational credential assessment (ECA) report from a designated institute or professional body indicating that the applicant has completed a foreign credential at a secondary school level or higher.
- The ECA report must be less than 5 years old at the time of the application.
- The ECA must have been issued on/after the date the organization was designated.
Financial Requirements or Proof of Funds for Agri-Food Immigration Pilot Program:
All applicants wishing to apply through the Agri-Food pilot must show proof of funds to settle in Canada. The proof of funds must indicate the ability to support any family members who will come to Canada with the applicant. Proof of funds can be any of the following:
- Bank account statements
- Documentation showing the applicant’s investments such as stocks, bonds, treasury bills, debenture, or real property ownership.
- Documentation guaranteeing payment of set amounts to the applicant such as cheques, bank drafts, money orders, traveler’s cheques, etc.
It is important to note that all evidence in the form of financial documents must have contact information, Official letterheads, and the applicant’s name. In the case of account information, the account number, details of the account including current balance, and average balance of the last 6 months must be included.
All financial proof depends upon the size of the family which is dependent upon the applicant. The size of the family includes spouses, dependent children, and dependent children of the spouse. The finances must be enough to support all members irrespective of whether they will be traveling to Canada or not.
Note: The amount of funds varies by family size and these amounts are updated each year.
In conclusion, Canada launched the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot Project in the hope of filling the labor shortage in agricultural industries and meeting the country’s objective of exporting goods. With this program, more workers will be able to plan a long-term settlement in Canada rather than a temporary stay that comes with little hope of permanent settlement.
How to send an application to participate in the Agri-food Immigration Pilot?
If you meet the eligibility requirements and are interested in applying, be sure to act quickly as the number of applications accepted is limited. Contact Chugo Immigration Services at 1 403 836 1861 (WhatsApp) or Book Consultation for more information on how to apply and to find out if you are eligible.
Optimize your chances of success immigrating to Canada through the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot with Chugo Immigration Services!
What are your other options for Canadian Immigration?
Let us help you to navigate any of the following pathways to Canadian Immigration:
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
- Humanitarian and Compassionate
- Study to Immigrate
- Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
- How to Become a Canadian Citizen: Applying for Canadian Citizenship
- Family Sponsorship
- Spousal Sponsorship
- Express Entry
- Federal Skilled Workers Program
- Caregivers
- Canada Business Immigration Programs
- Refugee and Asylum
- Visa rejections and Appeals
Chugo Immigration Service is authorized to offer Canadian Immigration and Citizenship services under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The Principal Consultant, Pius Chukwuma Ekwulugo RCIC, is a member in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) and has helped many foreigners to start a new life in Canada. We will help you too!
For effective and diligent legal help regarding Canadian Immigration matters, we partner with Weekes Law Office.
For international recruitment of foreign workers to Canada, we partner with Godzone International Recruiting.