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Do you know about the new changes made to the Agri-Food Pilot Program?
Canada’s Agri-Food Immigration Pilot is a program launched by the Canadian government aimed at addressing labor shortages in the agri-food sector. The pilot is designed to attract and retain skilled foreign workers who can contribute to Canada’s agricultural industry, which plays a significant role in the country’s economy.
Overview of the Program:
The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot comes as a response to the pressing labor shortages Canadian agricultural businesses face. Employers struggle to find skilled workers to fill essential roles across sectors such as meat processing, mushroom production, and greenhouse cultivation.
At the heart of the pilot program lies a pathway to permanent residency for skilled foreign workers who possess the expertise needed in the agri-food sector.
Originally, the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot had set a cap of 2,750 principal applicants and their families per year. However, in a testament to its success and significance, this cap was removed in 2023, extending the program’s reach until 2025. This expansion signals a commitment to removing barriers and unlocking the full potential of Canada’s agricultural workforce, ensuring that no worker is left behind.
Program Requirements for Agri-Food Pilot
There are certain eligibility requirements for this program. Let’s go through each one of them:
Work experience:
Certainly, here’s a rewrite of those points:
- Applicants must have accumulated a minimum of one year of full-time employment, equivalent to at least 1,560 hours, within the last three years. This employment should be non-seasonal and fall under one or more of the qualifying occupations listed within the designated industries.
- The employment must have been secured through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, indicating that the applicant was legally employed in Canada.
- Upon hiring, the employer was required to submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) valid for a period of at least 12 months.
Recent changes made:
As of February 10, 2024:
- applicants who reside in Canada when they submit their application may now choose to meet either the job offer requirement or the educational requirement
- IRCC now counts work experience gained under an open work permit for vulnerable foreign workers towards the work experience requirement
Job Offer:
A candidate must possess a job offer for a full-time, permanent, non-seasonal position within a qualifying occupation situated within one of the eligible agri-food industries.
Language Requirements:
For English proficiency, applicants must satisfy the minimum language requirement of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4. Similarly, for French proficiency, applicants must meet the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) Level 4.
Education Requirement:
High School level or higher education in Canada or overseas equivalent.
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Occupations Eligible for Agri-Food Pilot
For Meat Product Manufacturing:
- Butchers: retail and wholesale: NOC 63201
- Meat cutters and fishmongers, retail and wholesale: NOC 65202
- Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers: NOC 94141
- Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors: NOC 82030
- Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators: NOC 84120
- Livestock Labourers: NOC 85100
- Labourers in food and beverage processing: NOC 95106
For Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production, including Mushroom Production:
- Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors: NOC 82030
- Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators: NOC 84120
- Livestock Labourers: NOC 85100
- Harvesting Labourers: NOC 85101
For Animal Production, Excluding Aquaculture:
- Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors: NOC 82030
- Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators: NOC 84120
- Livestock Labourers: NOC 85100
- Harvesting Labourers: NOC 85101
Is the program currently accepting applications?
The Agri-Food Pilot is extended until May 14, 2025.
If you need any assistance or have any questions, you can contact our Immigration Consultant at +1 289 298 1000 or Book Free Consultation on our website canozvisas.com
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Do you want
to Study or Immigrate to
Canada or Australia?
We are Canoz Visa Services and our team is committed to provide the highest standards of client service in a friendly environment.
