The Agri-Food Pilot has been implemented by the Canadian government to fill vital labour needs of the agri-food sector. Workers that fall under this pilot are provided a pathway to permanent residence. It is a great pathway to permanent residence for those that are willing to work a labour job with limited English skills.
The Agri-Food Pilot is industry-specific, aimed at attracting non-seasonal farm and livestock workers who have the intention of settling and remaining in Canada year-round, particularly in the meat processing, animal raising, green housing, and mushroom production sectors. To be eligible, you must have a valid job offer in one of the specialized occupations as well as at least 1 year experience.
Annual limits
IRCC will process a maximum limit of 2,750 applications each year.
Starting on January 1 of each year, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
If your application is rejected due to the annual limit being rejected, your processing fees will be reimbursed from IRCC.
Eligible industries under the pilot are:
General Eligibility Requirements
Must have 1 year of non-seasonal, full-time work in the past 3 years in Canada (1560 hours) in one or more of the eligible occupations listed above
This work must have been done through the temporary foreign worker program, i.e. LMIA supported job experience – any experience gained via a open work permit does not count
Permanent, full-time, non-seasonal job offer in one of the eligible job occupations in one of the eligible industries
Must achieve a minimum of CLB 4 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening from an approved language test
Must have the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma
If you’re already working in Canada with a valid work permit, you do not need to provide proof of funds