Agri Food Pilot

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that effective May 15, 2020, IRCC will begin accepting applications to the Agri-Food Pilot. The 3-year pilot will test an industry-specific approach to help employers in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production, and livestock-raising industries fill ongoing labour needs for full-time, year-round employees.

• The occupations and industries eligible under the pilot include:
  • meat product manufacturing
    • retail butchers
    • industrial butchers
    • farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
    • food processing labourers
  • greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production
    • farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
    • general farm workers
    • harvesting labourers
  • animal production, excluding aquaculture
    • farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
    • general farm workers
• Since Quebec establishes its own economic immigration selection under the Canada-Quebec Accord, the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot does not apply there.

A total of 2,750 applications will be accepted annually throughout the pilot, which applies primarily to people who are already in Canada. Existing travel restrictions continue to apply. It will provide a pathway to permanent residence for many temporary foreign workers already in Canada.

The Agri-Food Pilot complements Canada’s already existing economic immigration programs, which include the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, the caregivers pilots, the Global Skills Strategy, a revitalized Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program.

Please contact one of our lawyers at Borders Law Firm ([email protected]) to learn more about the new Agri Food Pilot .