The new Agri-Food Immigration Pilot was designed to help address the labour needs of the Canadian Agri-food sector. Debuting in March 2020, this pilot program will run until May 2023. It is aimed at attracting non-seasonal farm and livestock workers who have the intention of settling and remaining in Canada year round. To learn how you can apply for permanent residency in Canada through this new immigration pilot program, continue reading below.
About the Process
To apply for permanent residency through the Agri- Food Pilot, you must meet all of the following requirements to be deemed eligible:
- Eligible Canadian work experience in at least one of the eligible industries and occupations
- Maintain temporary resident status (if already in Canada)
- Have a full-time non-seasonal job offer from a Canadian employer in one of the eligible industries and occupations ( outside of Quebec)
- Have settlement funds
- Meet or exceed the education requirements
- Meet or exceed the language requirements
Eligible Industries
Industries are classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Specific industries definitions are lists on the NAICS website under industry codes. Eligible industries for the pilot are:
- Meet production manufacturing ( NAICS 3116)
- Animal Production (NAICS 1121-1124, 1129)
- Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production (NAICS 1114)
Eligible Occupations
Eligible jobs for each occupation:
- Meet product manufacturing (NAICS 3116
- Industrial butchers (NOC C 9462)
- Retail butchers (NOC B 6331)
- Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC B 8252)
- Food processing labours (NOC D 9617)
- Animal Production
- General farm workers (NOC C 8431)
- Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC B 8252
- Greenhouse, Nursery and Floriculture Production ( NAICS 1114)
- Farm supervisor and specialized livestock workers ( NOC B 8252
- General farm workers (NOC C 8431)
- Harvesting Labourers ( NOC D 8611)
Occupations are classified under the National Occupational classification (NOC code)
Application Limits by Occupation
For each eligible occupation, there are annual limits on the number of applications that will be processed. Each year on January 1st, applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis.
Job Offer
To apply for the Agri-Food Pilot, you must have a genuine eligible job offer by a Canadian employer. It must meet all of the following criteria:
- Offer must be in one of the eligible occupations in one of the eligible indutires
- Must be full time
- Employment must be permanent and non-seasonal
Language Requirements
You must meet or exceed level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark in
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
Education Requirements
You must have at least
- Canadian high school diploma
- And educational credential assessment report showing that you have completed a foreign credential at the secondary school level or above.
Work Experience
You must have eligible Canadian work experience that:
- Is a minimum of 1 year of non-seasonal full time work in the last 3 years in the same industry you are applying for
Settlement Funds
You must be able to prove that you have enough money to come to and settle in Canada, to support yourself and family members.
If you are already working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to provide proff of settlement funds
Processing times
The IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within 6 months.
Akrami and Associates
The application process for the Agri-Food Pilot is complex, with several areas of eligibility one must meet. Contact us today to find out your eligibility and/or to discuss options to permanent residency. 416-477-2545 or info@thevisa.ca. Our legal representatives have assisted and guided on hundreds of immigration cases.
With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!
Taaha Malik BA (Hon) J.D.Taaha is a barrister and solicitor licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies from the University of Toronto. After completing her Bachelors Taaha moved to New York and obtained a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School. During law school Taaha continued to work and gain experience in different areas of law in New York. She worked in Financial Services, Commercial Business, Real Estate, Civil Litigation, Family Law and Immigration. Through the various experiences Taaha always felt more fascinated by and attracted to the field of immigration law. Once she completed her JD, Taaha moved back to Toronto and began working in immigration law at Deloitte. While working full time she completed the requisite credentials to sit for the Ontario bar and was also selected to complete her Ontario Articling with Deloitte. Taaha was successfully called to the Bar of Ontario in June 2019. During her tenure at Deloitte, Taaha provided Global and Canadian Immigration services to employees of major multinational companies. She acquired familiarity and knowledge of the immigration rules and regulations of various countries across the globe. She became proficient in providing wide range of Canadian permanent and temporary immigration services. Taaha’s extensive experience in the realm of immigration law allows her to deliver excellent candid service to her clients. She understands the individual client’s needs and requirements and is always on the Clients’ side. Taaha is fluent in Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi. Outside of law, her interests include reading – non-fiction and current affairs, travelling, community service and volunteer work and she is an avid rollerblader and hiker.