The Canada Agri-Food Pilot program has been a crucial pathway for experienced agri-food workers to gain permanent residency in Canada.
For 2025, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced significant changes to the program’s application intake.
The program will accept a reduced cap of 1,010 applications, a marked decrease from the 2,750 applications accepted in 2024.
Eligibility Criteria for the Agri-Food Pilot
- Work Experience:
- Applicants must have at least one year of cumulative, non-seasonal, full-time work experience (minimum of 1,560 hours) within the last three years.
- This experience must be obtained on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-based work permit in one or more eligible agri-food occupations.Work Experience:
- Job Offer:
- A full-time, permanent, and non-seasonal job offer in a qualifying occupation within an eligible agri-food industry is mandatory.
- Educational Qualifications:
- Applicants must hold a Canadian high school diploma or an equivalent foreign credential verified through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
- Language Proficiency:
- Minimum language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Level 4 or equivalent in either English or French.
- Settlement Funds:
- Applicants must demonstrate sufficient settlement funds to support themselves and their family members in Canada unless they are already working in Canada under a valid work permit.
Eligible Occupations and Industries
Below are the qualifying industries and their associated National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:
Meat Product Manufacturing (NAICS 3116):
- Retail and Wholesale Butchers: NOC 63201
- Meat Cutters and Fishmongers: NOC 65202
- Industrial Butchers and Meat Cutters: NOC 94141
- Farm Supervisors and Agricultural Service Contractors: NOC 82030
- Specialized Livestock Workers and Farm Machinery Operators: NOC 84120
- Livestock Labourers: NOC 85100
- Labourers in Food and Beverage Processing: NOC 95106
Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (NAICS 1114):
- Farm Supervisors and Agricultural Service Contractors: NOC 82030
- Specialized Livestock Workers and Farm Machinery Operators: NOC 84120
- Livestock Labourers: NOC 85100
- Harvesting Labourers: NOC 8510
Animal Production (NAICS 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, 1129):
- Farm Supervisors and Agricultural Service Contractors: NOC 82030
- Specialized Livestock Workers and Farm Machinery Operators: NOC 84120
- Livestock Labourers: NOC 85100
- Harvesting Labourers: NOC 8510
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