Canada accepts applications for agri-food immigration

Canada immigration is now accepting applications for the Agri-Food immigration Pilot draw.

The Pilot addresses the need for skilled foreign workers in areas like

• The production of mushroom and greenhouse
• Livestock raising
• Meat processing industries

Foreign workers already in Canada with temporary visas can use this opportunity and apply for Permanent Residence.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a grand plan with this pilot. Under this new pilot, IRCC will allow immigration of up to 2,750 principal applicants and their family members annually. This is possible for the coming 3 years.

Applications to this new Pilot scheme will be accepted till May 14, 2023.

The new Pilot is in response to rising requests from the agri-food sector’s employers to the federal government.

The new Pilot will help these employers get Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) having work experience in the agri-food sector. The recruited candidates can work in Canada and become permanent residents.

The launch date of the new Pilot got postponed due to COVID-19 disruptions.

As Quebec has its own immigration system, the new Pilot does not include the province.

There’s a 2-year Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) as part of the Pilot. This will benefit Quebec employers who hire non-seasonal TFW.

Such TFW can apply for a permanent selection from Quebec via the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ).

The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot considers the following industries and jobs as eligible:

• Animal production excluding aquaculture
  • General farmworkers
  • Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
• Greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture production, including mushroom production
  • Harvesting laborers
  • General farmworkers
  • Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
• Meat product manufacturing
  • Food processing laborers
  • Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
  • Industrial butchers
  • Retail butchers

The contribution of the agriculture and agri-food industry is evident from the fact that it supports 1 in 8 jobs in Canada. The exports from agriculture came to a record $67 billion in 2019.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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