Agri-Food Immigration Pilot
Canada’s Agriculture and Agri-Food industry is a vital component of the Canadian economy and contributes more than $110 billion annually to the country’s gross domestic product.
The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot exists to provide eligible temporary foreign workers in the sector with a pathway to Canadian permanent residence. Up to 2,750 applications are accepted each .
About Agri-Food Immigration Pilot
The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) is a program that allows New Brunswick to nominate immigrants to fill the economic and labour market needs of the province.
Yes, New Brunswick has an immigration stream aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system, also referred to as an enhanced Express Entry stream. This stream is called New Brunswick Express Entry Stream. By receiving an enhanced provincial nomination from this stream, candidates receive an extra 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, resulting in an Invitation To Apply (ITA) for permanent residence being issued at a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.
Applying to the NBPNP is a two-step process. Candidates interested in living and working permanently in New Brunswick should first review the different NBPNP streams to determine if they are eligible.
Step 1: Once a complete application is submitted along with all supporting documentation, the processing time for eligible applications can be up to three months or more.
Step 2: Apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a permanent resident visa.
Within six months of receiving the nominee certificate, applicants are required to apply to IRCC in order to receive a permanent resident visa. Applicants, along with their spouse/common-law partner and dependents, if applicable, must meet all requirements for medical, security and criminal admissibility. IRCC has the final authority to issue a permanent resident visa.
As part of any PNP application, applicants are required to submit a Settlement Plan indicating why they wish to live in the province and how they intend to settle. Applicants are also required to sign an ‘intention to reside’ document with their application. That being said, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents are allowed to work and reside in any location across Canada. Once an individual obtains Canadian permanent residence, he or she has the right to work and reside in any Canadian province or territory.
FAQ for Agri-Food Immigration Pilot
The Agri-Food Pilot is an economic class program that provides a pathway to permanent residence for workers with full-time, non-seasonal in-Canada work experience in specific agricultural and agri-food industries.
Candidates with work experience in the above occupations must also meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered for Canadian permanent residence under the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot.
• 12 months of full-time, non-seasonal Canadian work experience in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in one of the eligible occupations.
• a Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French
• the foreign equivalent of a high school level education or greater
• an indeterminate job offer for full-time, non-seasonal work in Canada, outside of Quebec, at or above the prevailing wage.
Eligible employers in the meat processing sector who use the pilot will be issued a two-year Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
To be eligible, meat processors must outline their plans to support the temporary foreign worker in obtaining permanent residency.
Unionized meat processors will require a letter of support from their union, and non-unionized meat processors will have to meet additional requirements to ensure the labour market and migrant workers are protected, IRCC says.
There are annual limits on the number of applications processed for each eligible occupation. Starting on January 1 of each year, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. This pilot will last for three years.
Eligible occupation | Number of applications accepted per year |
Farm supervisor or specialized livestock worker (NOC B 8252) | 50 |
Industrial butcher (NOC C 9462) or retail butcher (NOC B 6331) | 1470 |
Food processing laborer (NOC D 9617) | 730 |
General farm worker (NOC C 8431) | 200 |
Harvesting laborer (NOC D 8611) | 300 |
You can apply for Permanent Residence if you have both a job offer and work experience. Your PR will refuse if you don’t meet both requirements.