New Canada Agri-Food Pilot Changes Came Into Effect On February 2024

Starting in February 2024, there are two new changes to the Canada Agri-Food Pilot program for getting permanent residency (PR).

First, if you are living in Canada and applying, you can now choose between having a job offer or meeting the education requirements.

Second, if you are a foreign worker in a difficult situation, your work experience with an open work permit now counts towards the work experience needed for the program.

The Agri-Food Pilot program, which began in 2020 for three years, has been extended until May 14, 2025. 

Before this, in August 2023, Canada made two other changes: family members of applicants can get open work permits, and union letters can be used instead of employer letters to show work experience.

Eligibility Criteria for Canada Agri-Food Pilot

To be eligible for the Agri-Food Pilot, whether you are in Canada or abroad, you need:

• At least one year (or 1,560 hours over 52 weeks) of full-time, non-seasonal work in the last three years in certain Agri-Food jobs.
• This work should be from a 12-month work visa based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
• A full-time, permanent, non-seasonal job offer in a qualifying Agri-Food industry.
• Education equal to a Canadian high school diploma.
• Enough money to support yourself (and your family if they are not moving with you) when you come to Canada. If you already have a work permit in Canada, you don’t need to show this money.
• Valid temporary resident status if you are already in Canada.
• A minimum score on a language proficiency test.

Eligible Occupations for the Agri-Food Pilot

The following occupations are eligible for the Agri-Food Pilot:

For Meat Product Manufacturing (NAICS 3116):

• 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 (NAICS 1114):

• 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 (NAICS 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, and 1129):

• 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).

The Agri-Food Pilot has some special features. You only need to reach level 4 in English or French on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). In the IELTS test, this means a total score of 4 (reading: 3.5, writing: 4, listening: 4.5, speaking: 4). 

For education, a high school diploma is enough. If your education is from outside Canada, you need a report showing that your foreign education is equal to a Canadian high school diploma or higher.

How to Apply for the Canadian Agri-Food Pilot

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for the Canadian Agri-Food Pilot by visiting the official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. Download the complete application guide by clicking this link.