Who Can Apply for the Agri-Food Pilot Program?

• You must meet or pass the educational requirements
  If you reside in Canada when you submit your application, you may choose to meet this requirement or the job offer requirement.
• have eligible work experience
• meet or pass the language requirements
• prove you have enough moneyto settle in Canada (if applicable)
• have maintained your temporary resident status (if already in Canada)

Job Offer

If you reside in Canada when you apply, you may choose to meet either the job offer requirement or the educational requirement.

If you reside outside of Canada when you apply, you must meet both the job offer and the educational requirement.

The job you’re offered must be a genuine job offer and meet all of the following requirements:

• The job must be
  • In an eligible occupation listed under 1 of the eligible industries
  • full time — This means you work at least 30 paid hours per week.
  • Non-seasonal — This means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
  • Permanent — This means there is no set end date.
  • In Canada, outside of Quebec
• For unionized positions, the wage must be determined by the applicable collective agreement.
• For non-unionized positions, the wage must meet or exceed the Job Bank’s prevailing (median) wage for the occupation listed on your job offer in the province of employment (or at the national level if no provincial rate is available).

Educational Requirements

If you are residing in Canada when you apply, you may choose to meet either the educational requirement or the job offer requirement.

If you are residing outside of Canada when you apply, you must meet both the educational requirement and the job offer.

You must have at least

• A Canadian high school diploma or
• An educational credential assessment (ECA) report from a designated organization or professional body showing that you completed a foreign credential at the secondary school level or above
  • The ECA report must be less than 5 years old on the date of your application.
  • The original ECA report must have been issued on or after the date the organization was designated.

Work Experience

Your Canadian work experience must be

• At least 1 year of cumulative, non-seasonal, full-time work in the past 3 years (at least 1,560 hours)
• In 1 or more of the eligible occupations listed under 1 of the eligible industries
• Gained though
  • an open work permit for vulnerable workers or
  • a work permit issued on the basis of a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) with a minimum 12-month duration, under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

If you’re not sure of the duration of the LMIA that was submitted by your employer when hiring you, you can ask the employer.

Proof of work experience includes:

• An employer or union reference letter (only for unionized positions)
• A letter of employment
• A T4
• Paystubs

Open Work Permits

If you currently have an open work permit, but you used to have a work permit through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, you may have eligible work experience.

However, any work experience you gained while holding an open work permit does not count unless it was gained under an open work permit specifically for vulnerable workers.

How To Calculate Your Hours of Work Experience

• Do count the hours worked in full-time jobs
  • The hours can be in different eligible occupations and with different employers.
  • The hours must have been worked over a total period of at least 12 months (Note: working more than 30 hours per week does not shorten this period).
• Don’t count
  • Hours you weren’t paid for (volunteering or unpaid internships)
  • Hours worked when you were self-employed
  • Hours worked in part-time or seasonal positions
  • Hours where your work was not authorized by IRCC

Language Requirements

You must prove your ability in English or French.

The minimum language requirements are Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) Level 4 in :

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking
• Listening

You must submit your results from an approved language test and they must be less than 2 years old (2 years from the date you took the test) when you apply.

Settlement Funds

You must prove that you have enough money to settle in Canada. You’ll need to prove that you have enough funds to support yourself and any family members you may have, even if they’re not coming to Canada with you.

If you’re already working in Canada with a valid work permit when you apply, you don’t need to provide proof of settlement funds.

Find out more about settlement funds

Language Testing

How to Prove Your Language Ability

You need to take an approved language test to prove your English or French skills. To do this:

• Schedule your test with an approved agency
• Pay the test costs

After you get the results of your test, compare them to the charts below to see what Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level you have.

What to Include in Your Application

If you meet the minimum score of CLB 4 in all 4 abilities, include a copy of the test results with your application.

These results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. Keep a copy of them for your records and future use.

Which Language Tests Are Accepted?

You can take any of these approved language tests:

English

• CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program
  • You need to take the CELPIP-General test.
• IELTS: International English Language Testing System
  • You need to take the IELTS General Training test.
• PTE Core

French

• TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français
• TCF Canada : Test de connaissance du français

To Apply to the Agri-Food Pilot, You Need To Have Experience in an Eligible Industry and an Eligible Occupation

• Show eligible work experience in an eligible industry and eligible occupation
• Have a job offer for full-time, non-seasonal work in an eligible industry and occupation in Canada (outside of Quebec)
  • If you reside in Canada when you submit your application, you can choose to meet either the job offer requirement or the educational requirement.

Eligible Industries

Industries are classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). You can see specific industry definitions by searching the industry codes below on the NAICS website.

Your employer needs to include the industry code in your job offer.

Eligible industries under the pilot are:

• Meat product manufacturing (NAICS 3116)
• Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production (NAICS 1114)
• Animal production, excluding aquaculture
  • Cattle ranching and farming (NAICS 1121)
  • Hog and pig farming (NAICS 1122)
  • Poultry and egg production (NAICS 1123)
  • Sheep and goat farming (NAICS 1124)
  • Other animal production (NAICS 1129)

Eligible Occupations

Occupations are classified by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. You can check the duties for each occupation by searching the NOC website.

Eligible occupations for each eligible industry are listed below.

Eligible occupations for meat product manufacturing (NAICS 3116)

• NOC 63201 – Butchers – retail and wholesale
• NOC 65202 – Meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale
• NOC 94141 – Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
• NOC 82030 – Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
• NOC 84120 – Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators
• NOC 85100 – Livestock labourers
• NOC 95106 – Labourers in food and beverage processing

Eligible occupations for greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production (NAICS 1114)

• NOC 82030 – Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
• NOC 84120 – Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators
• NOC 85100 – Livestock labourers
• NOC 85101 – Harvesting labourers

Eligible occupations for animal production, excluding aquaculture (NAICS 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124 and 1129)

• NOC 82030 – Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
• NOC 84120 – Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators
• NOC 85100 – Livestock labourers
• NOC 85101 – Harvesting labourers

Annual Application Limits

IRCC will process a maximum limit of 2,750 applications each year and will no longer use annual limits for individual occupations.

Starting on January 1 of each year, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

If an application is rejected because the annual limit has been reached, applicants will receive a refund of their application fees.

Work Permit

Applicants may apply for a work permit while they wait for a final decision on their application. In addition, family members may apply for an open work permit, no matter what their skill level is.

TEER 2 or 3 Occupations

• Your family members can apply for an open work permit if these 3 requirements are met:
• You applied for permanent residence through the Agri-Food Pilot.
• Your work permit is still valid for at least 6 months when we receive your family member’s open work permit application.
• Your family member is eligible for a work permit.

TEER 4 or 5 Occupations

• Your family member can apply for an open work permit if these 4 requirements are met:
• You applied for permanent residence through the Agri-Food Pilot.
• You received an acknowledgement of receipt letter.
• Your work permit is still valid for at least 6 months when we receive your family member’s open work permit application.
• Your family member is eligible for a work permit.

Family members must apply for an open work permit. They can do so outside Canada, inside Canada or at a port of entry. Instructions on how to apply may be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/apply.html

Priority Processing for Work Permit Applications

If your occupation is one which IRCC deems as “performing or supporting essential services”, your work permit will be prioritized. Certain agriculture and agri-food occupations are considered essential services, including the following:

• Butchers – retail and wholesale (NOC 63201)
• Meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale (NOC 65202)
• Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors (NOC 82030)
• Livestock labourers (NOC 85100)
• Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators (NOC 84120)
• Harvesting labourers (NOC 85101)
• Nursery and greenhouse labourers (NOC 85103)
• Fish and seafood plant workers (NOC 94142)
• Labourers in food and beverage processing (NOC 95106)
• Labourers in fish and seafood processing (NOC 95107)
• Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers (NOC 94141)

Agri-Food Pilot Program Processing Time

The processing time for Canada’s Agri-Food Pilot Program varies, but applications generally take around 12 to 18 months. This timeframe can depend on factors such as the completeness of the application, any additional documentation required, and the applicant’s location. The Agri-Food Pilot aims to provide a steady workforce for Canada’s agriculture and food processing sectors, helping foreign workers achieve permanent residency. For those eligible, understanding the current processing times and requirements can aid in a smoother application process.