Agri-Food Pilot Immigration

It is currently active as it has been extended to May 14, 2025.

Only three industries are eligible to participate in this agri-food pilot program. These eligible industries are categorized based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), and they include:

1. 1) Meat product manufacturing industry (NAICS 3116)
2. 2) Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including Mushroom production industry (NAICS 1114)
3. 3) Animal production industry, excluding aquaculture but includes:
   1. 3.1) cattle ranching and farming (NAICS 1121)
   2. 3.2) hog and pig farming (NAICS 1122)
   3. 3.3) poultry and egg production (NAICS 1123)
   4. 3.4) sheep and goat farming (NAICS 1124)
   5. 3.5) other animal production (NAICS 1129)

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis at the beginning of each year, and as a rule, annual caps are placed on the number of applications processed for each eligible occupation.

The specified occupations are listed under the 3 eligible industries below:

Agri-Food application Processing

You can apply for the Agri-Food pilot program only if you meet the minimum eligibility criteria:

1. 1) Possession of eligible Canadian work experience in one or more of the eligible industries and occupations.
2. 2) A genuine, full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a Canadian employer in one or more of the eligible industries and occupations.
3. 3) Meet or exceed the educational requirement.
4. 4) Meet or exceed the language skill requirement.
5. 5) Proof of settlement funds
6. 6) Have a legal temporary resident status if they are already in Canada.

Eligible Canadian work experience

An eligible Canadian work experience under the Agric-food pilot must be a minimum of at least 1 year of full-time, non-seasonal work experience in the past 3 years.  This must be worked in one or more eligible occupations listed in one of the eligible Canadian industries, and through the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) pathway of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

These full-time, non-seasonal worked hours can be in different eligible occupation and with different employers. It must have been worked over a 12-month period, working at a rate of over 30 hours per week does not reduce this 12-month period requirement. Also, the hours must have been worked with legal authorization to work in Canada.

Hours of work that don’t count as eligible work experience for the Agric-food pilot program include hours worked in:

1. 1) volunteer work or unpaid internship.
2. 2) self-employed jobs
3. 3) part-time or seasonal jobs
4. 4) a job while holding an open work permit authorization

Canada without legal authorization to work.

Genuine Job Offer

A job offer is considered genuine if it meets all the requirements listed below:

1. 1) Job must be in an eligible occupation listed under one of the eligible industries.
2. 2) It must be full-time job for which you receive remuneration for working at least 30 hours every week.
3. 3) It must be a non-seasonal where you have a consistent and regularly scheduled paid job all through the year.
4. 4) A permanent employment without any stipulated end date.
5. 5) It must be a for a job inside of Canada, but outside of Quebec.
6. 6) Remuneration for non-unionized positions will meet or exceed the Canadian job bank prevailing median wage for the listed occupation on the job offer, in the province where you are employed (or at national rates if there is no available provincial rate)
7. 7) The relevant collective agreement must apply to remuneration for unionized positions.

Meet or exceed the educational requirements:

To demonstrate you meet the Agric-Food pilot program educational requirement, you must possess at least:

1. 1) a high school diploma from a Canadian secondary school

OR

1. 1) an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an approved designated institution showing you possess a foreign credential completed at the secondary school or post-secondary level.

This ECA report must be less than 5 years at the time of your application.

Meet or exceed the language skill requirement:

You must demonstrate that you meet the minimum English or French language skill requirement by attaining the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) Level 4 in all four abilities of listening, reading, speaking and writing. Your language test results must be less than 24 months old at the time of your application.

Proof of Settlement funds

You must show you have enough money to support yourself and your family when you arrive in Canada to settle. You must show that you have enough money to support any family member you may have, even if they’re not coming to Canada with you. You are exempted from settlement fund if you are already legally working in Canada.

Temporary Resident Status

You must have and maintain a temporary resident status if you are in Canada at the time of your application for the Agric-Food pilot immigration program.

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