The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced that, effective, today, Friday, May 15, 2020, Canada has begun accepting Applications for Permanent Residence under the Agri-Food Pilot.
The pilot, which runs until May 2023, 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. It will provide a pathway to Permanent Residence for many temporary foreign workers already in Canada.
A total of 2,750 Applications will be accepted annually throughout the pilot, which applies primarily to people who are already in Canada.
To apply for Permanent Residence under the Agri-Food Pilot, applicants need
- eligible Canadian work experience in one or more of the eligible industries and occupations. Eligible jobs for each eligible industry are listed below.
For meat product manufacturing, eligible jobs are
-
- NOC B 6331 – Retail butchers
- NOC C 9462 – Industrial butchers
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC D 9617 – Food processing labourers
For greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production, eligible jobs are
-
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC C 8431 – General farm workers
- NOC D 8611 – Harvesting labourers
For animal production, excluding aquaculture, eligible jobs are
-
- NOC B 8252 – Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC C 8431 – General farm workers
There are annual limits on the number of Applications that will be processed for each eligible occupation. Starting on January 1 of each year, Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. This pilot will last for 3 years.
Annual limits
| Eligible occupation | Number of applications accepted per year |
| Farm supervisor or specialized livestock worker (NOC B 8252) |
50 |
| Industrial butcher (NOC C 9462) or retail butcher (NOC B 6331) |
1470 |
| Food processing labourer (NOC D 9617) |
730 |
| General farm worker (NOC C 8431) |
200 |
| Harvesting labourer (NOC D 8611) |
300 |
- a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a Canadian employer in one of the eligible industries and occupations (outside of Quebec)
- to meet or exceed the language requirements (CLB 4, which is the equivalent of 4.5 in Listening, 3.5 in Reading and 4.0 in each of Speaking and Writing on the General IELTS)
- to meet or exceed the educational requirements (the equivalent of a Canadian High School/Secondary School Diploma)
- to have settlement funds (if applicable)
- to maintain temporary resident status (if already in Canada)
If you believe you qualify for this new category of Immigration and are interested in obtaining legal assistance to apply, please send us a message through the Contact Us page on our website.