The honourable minister of Immigration, refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Mr. Sean Fraser, announced on May 8, 2023 the extension of the Agri-Food Pilot. This program launched in 2020 and it focuses on facilitating the transition of workers with experience in the Agricultural and Food industries to permanent residence in Canada.

Agri-Food Pilot Program Updates and Changes

There will be other changes to this pilot that will be implemented by the end of 2023, which include:

• Accessing Open Work Permits for family members of all participants in the Agri-Food Pilot.
• Allowing applicant’s work experience to be attested by unions as an alternate option to employer reference letters.
• Meeting either the job offer requirement or the education requirement for applicants residing in Canada.
• Accepting work experience gained under an Open Work Permit for vulnerable workers*.

Requirements to Apply

Interested applicants will need to:

• Maintain Temporary Resident status (if already in Canada).
• Have eligible Canadian work experience in one or more of the eligible industries and occupation.
• Obtain a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a Canadian employer in one of the eligible industries and occupations (outside of Québec).
• Meet or exceed the language requirements and the educational requirements.
• Have settlement funds (if applicable).

*Vulnerable Workers: Migrant workers in Canada on valid employer-specific work permits who are experiencing abuse, or who are at risk of abuse, in the context of their employment in Canada may be eligible to receive an Open Work Permit (OWP) that is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement. If you believe you are in an abusive situation, You can safely access instructions on the IRCC website.

The Agri-Food pilot will run until May 14, 2025.

Do you want to find out if you are eligible to apply for the Agri-Food Pilot?