Agri-Food Immigration Pilot: Addressing Labor Shortages

The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot is designed to mitigate labor shortages in certain agricultural and food sectors, spanning from May 15, 2020, to May 14, 2023.

Targeted Industries:

• Meat product manufacturing.
• Greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture, inclusive of mushroom production.
• Animal production (excluding aquaculture).

Key Occupations:

• Positions in meat product manufacturing include retail and wholesale butchers, meat cutters, industrial butchers, poultry preparers, etc.
• Roles in greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture consist of agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors, specialized livestock workers, harvesting laborers, etc.
• Jobs in animal production encompass farm supervisors, specialized livestock workers, livestock laborers, harvesting laborers, etc.

Application Cap: Annually, a maximum of 2,750 applications are accepted under this pilot.

Candidate Prerequisites:

• A minimum of 12 months of full-time, non-seasonal Canadian work (1,560 hours within 3 years) in a qualifying role via the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
• Proficiency in English or French matching the Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in all areas.
• Educational credentials equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma or higher.
• An ongoing job offer for full-time, non-seasonal work in Canada (excluding Quebec) at the mandated wage rate or above.
• Adequate settlement funds for self and family, unless already employed in Canada.

In essence, the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot aims to address pressing labor concerns in select sectors, offering candidates a pathway to Canadian permanent residency.