Agri-Food Pilot starts application intake for permanent residence in Canada

On May 15, 2020, Canada launched its long awaited 3-year Agri-Food Pilot.

The Agri-Food Pilot starts application intake to hire skilled workers in the agri-food industry. It is Canada’s effort to prioritise the hiring of skilled workers in the food processing and food security sectors. In order to ensure the country does not face labour shortage and food security issues, the employers from these industries have been requesting fast-track hiring of skilled workers in such key areas.

The Agri-Food pilot is a 3-year immigration program. It will help Canada meet the labour shortages in the mushroom and greenhouse production, livestock rearing, and meat processing industries. Every year 2,750 applicants will be getting permanent residence in Canada through this pilot. But at the moment, only applicants who are in Canada on a temporary visa can apply. Also, soon, the pilot is expected to open up for applicants applying from outside Canada.

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Agri-Food Pilot: Quick Facts and overview

• Firstly, The pilot is taking applications from May 15, 2020, to May 14, 2023
• Secondly, it supports the needs of the agriculture and agri-food industry. As it is one of the key contributors to Canada’s economy. As a matter of fact, in 2019 the agricultural exports reached a new high of $67 billion.
• Also, the eligible industry areas are:
  • Meat product manufacturing: Retail butchers, industrial butchers, specialised livestock workers and farm supervisors, food processing labourers
  • Greenhouse, floriculture production and nursery and mushroom production: farm supervisors and specialised livestock workers, food processing labourers
  • Animal production, except aquaculture: farm supervisors and specialised livestock workers, general workers
• Further, this pilot does not apply to Quebec.

Who can apply for a Canada PR under this pilot?

To apply for Agri-Food Pilot you must:

• Have qualifying work experience
  • Minimum 1 year, full-time, continuous work experience within 3 years (1560 hours)
  • Must be in 1 or more, qualifying jobs under one of the eligible industries
  • Your Canadian employer must submit a positive LMIA with a minimum of 12 months period through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
• Have a valid job offer
  • In a full-time, permanent, continuous job position in an eligible industry
  • For unionized job offer, the wage must be as per the collective agreement
  • For non-unionised job offer, the wage rate must match or be more than the wage rate set by job bank or on a national level (whichever applicable)
  • The job offer must be in Canada and outside Quebec
• Minimum language skill level of CLB/NCLC 4 in English/French
• Have a Canadian high school diploma or an ECA report proving that foreign education credentials are at par with Canada’s education system. Also, ECA report must not be more than 5 years old
• Finally, submit proof of settlement funds

Do you wish to apply as a skilled worker in Canada?  If yes, then start your Canada Immigration journey now.

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