Question Period Note: AGRI-FOOD PILOT

Launch of the Agri-Food Pilot

• Canadian employers in the agri-food sector face persistent labour market challenges, making it difficult to meet their labour needs and to grow their businesses and the economy. In particular, meat processing employers have identified longstanding difficulties in recruiting and retaining retail and industrial butchers, while mushroom production businesses have indicated challenges with filling harvesting and other positions. As a result, employers in these industries have asked for assistance in recruiting and retaining skilled workers.

• Budget 2019 announced the Government’s intention to support Canada Food Policy initiatives with a pilot program aimed at providing a pathway to permanent residence for workers in the agri-food industry. The pilot was developed in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.

• The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot will test a new, occupation and industry-specific approach to help address the labour needs of the Canadian agri-food sector, particularly in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse crop production, and livestock raising industries.

• To be eligible to participate in the pilot, candidates must:
o have 12 months of full time, non-seasonal Canadian work experience obtained under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in the three years prior to application;
o have eligible work experience in at least one of the targeted industries and occupations:
 Retail butcher, industrial butcher, food processing labourer, and farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers working in establishments primarily engaged in processing meat products; or,
 Harvesting labourers, general farm workers, and farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers working in establishments primarily engaged in either raising livestock, or growing mushrooms or greenhouse crops.
o meet the required language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 4 in French;
o meet the educational requirements of having obtained, at minimum, a foreign high school diploma;
o have an indeterminate non-seasonable job offer in an eligible occupation and industry from an employer in any province/territory other than Quebec; and,
o the wage provided in the job offer must be determined as per the provisions of the applicable collective agreements for unionized occupations or, for non-unionized occupations, must meet or exceed the Job Bank’s prevailing wage for the occupation in the province of employment (or at the national level if no provincial rate is available).

• Applicants without a valid work permit at the time of application must also show proof of funds.

• The new three-year pilot opened on May 15, 2020, and accepts applications until May 14, 2023. The opening of the application process was set for March 30, 2020; however, a decision was taken to delay the opening as the Government is focused on responding to COVID-19.

• A total of 2,750 applications will be accepted annually, with an estimated 16,500 new permanent residents landing throughout the Pilot, including family members.

• The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot aims to attract and retain workers in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production, and livestock training industries who can economically establish in Canada by providing them with an opportunity to become permanent residents. It complements Canada’s existing economic immigration programs, including but not limited to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, and the Provincial Nominee Program, and could inform future immigration programming.

• Canadian employers in the agri-food sector face persistent labour market challenges, making it difficult to meet their labour needs and to grow their businesses and the economy. In particular, meat processing employers have identified longstanding difficulties in recruiting and retaining retail and industrial butchers, while mushroom production businesses have indicated challenges with filling harvesting and other positions. As a result, employers in these industries have asked for assistance in recruiting and retaining skilled workers.

• Budget 2019 announced the Government’s intention to support Canada Food Policy initiatives with a pilot program aimed at providing a pathway to permanent residence for workers in the agri-food industry. The pilot was developed in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.

• The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot will test a new, occupation and industry-specific approach to help address the labour needs of the Canadian agri-food sector, particularly in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse crop production, and livestock raising industries.

• To be eligible to participate in the pilot, candidates must:
o have 12 months of full time, non-seasonal Canadian work experience obtained under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in the three years prior to application;
o have eligible work experience in at least one of the targeted industries and occupations:
 Retail butcher, industrial butcher, food processing labourer, and farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers working in establishments primarily engaged in processing meat products; or,
 Harvesting labourers, general farm workers, and farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers working in establishments primarily engaged in either raising livestock, or growing mushrooms or greenhouse crops.
o meet the required language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 4 in French;
o meet the educational requirements of having obtained, at minimum, a foreign high school diploma;
o have an indeterminate non-seasonable job offer in an eligible occupation and industry from an employer in any province/territory other than Quebec; and,
o the wage provided in the job offer must be determined as per the provisions of the applicable collective agreements for unionized occupations or, for non-unionized occupations, must meet or exceed the Job Bank’s prevailing wage for the occupation in the province of employment (or at the national level if no provincial rate is available).

• Applicants without a valid work permit at the time of application must also show proof of funds.

• The new three-year pilot opened on May 15, 2020, and accepts applications until May 14, 2023. The opening of the application process was set for March 30, 2020; however, a decision was taken to delay the opening as the Government is focused on responding to COVID-19.

• A total of 2,750 applications will be accepted annually, with an estimated 16,500 new permanent residents landing throughout the Pilot, including family members.

• The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot aims to attract and retain workers in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production, and livestock training industries who can economically establish in Canada by providing them with an opportunity to become permanent residents. It complements Canada’s existing economic immigration programs, including but not limited to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, and the Provincial Nominee Program, and could inform future immigration programming.

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