The Agri-Food Pilot ended on May 14, 2025. It is closed and is no longer accepting new applications. For current permanent residence options, book a consultation or run the Free Immigration Scanner.
Agri Food Pilot Program
Table of Contents
The Agri-Food Pilot was a federal economic immigration pilot for experienced non-seasonal workers in specific agriculture and food-processing industries. The pilot ended on May 14, 2025 and is closed to new applications. IRCC continues to process applications it accepted before the closure date. The eligibility information below is historical and does not mean the pilot is open for new applications.
What is the Agri-Food Pilot?
- Program Status: The Agri-Food Pilot closed to new applications on May 14, 2025 and is no longer accepting new applications.
- Historical application caps varied during the pilot. No new applications are accepted because the pilot is closed.
Successful applicants under the Agri-Food Pilot, along with their families, gain the opportunity to live and work in Canada as permanent residents. This initiative helps fill critical labor gaps in Canada’s agri-food sector while providing stability and long-term opportunities for workers and their families
Historical Eligibility While the Agri-Food Pilot Was Open
A. Industries Targeted:
The pilot concentrates on particular agri-food industries, such as:
- Meat processing (butchers, workers in food processing, etc.)
- Raising livestock (such as farm managers and specialized livestock workers)
- Nursery, greenhouse, and floriculture production (e.g., farm supervisors, harvesters)
- Aquaculture and mushroom cultivation (e.g., harvesters, farm supervisor
B. Qualified Professions:
The curriculum focuses on particular jobs in the aforementioned sectors, including:
- Workers who butcher, cut meat, and process fish
- Supervisors of farms and specialists in livestock
- Farm managers and agricultural service providers
- Harvesting workers and general farmworkers
C. The requirement for a job offer:
- Candidates must be employed in one of the qualifying industries or vocations and hold a current, full-time, non-seasonal work offer from a Canadian employer.
D. Experience at Work:
- In the last three years, candidates must have completed at least one year of full-time, cumulative, non-seasonal work experience in Canada in an approved occupation. Gaining this experience requires temporary foreign worker status.
E. Proficiency in Language:
- Candidates must be able to speak English or French and meet the CLB/NCLC 4 minimal language standards.
F. Learning:
- It is necessary to have a high school diploma from Canada or its equivalent.
- An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is required to validate foreign credentials.
- You must achieve at least CLB 4 in English or French.
- Accepted tests: IELTS, CELPIP (English), TEF, TCF (French).
G. Funds for Settlement:
- Unless they are currently employed in Canada, applicants must show that they have enough money to sustain themselves and their families when they arrive.
H. Temporary Foreign Worker Status:
- Applicants must have gained their work experience in Canada as temporary foreign workers with valid work permits.
Historical Application Process Before Closure
Step 1: Receive a Job Offer
- Obtain a legitimate, full-time offer in an approved agri-food occupation from a Canadian business.
Step 2: Compile the paperwork
- Educational Qualifications (ECA report, transcripts, diploma).
- Results of Language Tests (CELPIP, TEF, TCF, or IELTS).
- Evidence of Funds (if needed).
- Proof of Work Experience (contracts, pay stubs, and employment letters).
Step 3: File an Application for Permanent Residency
- Apply via Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
- IRCC continues processing only applications accepted before May 14, 2025. Processing time depends on the individual file and current IRCC workload.
What the Agri-Food Pilot Was Designed to Do
The Agri-Food Pilot was designed to address labour needs in specific agriculture and food-processing industries while offering eligible non-seasonal workers a pathway to permanent residence. It is now closed to new applications. Workers looking for a current pathway should use current Express Entry, provincial, regional or other programs for which they qualify.
What to do instead
IRCC still shows this pilot as Closed (canada.ca, Agri-Food Pilot page, page modified 27 April 2026, checked 7 September 2026), so there is nothing to apply for here. If you already have one year of skilled work experience in Canada, the usual replacement route is the Canadian Experience Class, which is selected through Express Entry. If your agri-food experience is outside Canada, or you hold a job offer from a Canadian employer, a provincial nominee stream is usually the better fit. Book a paid consultation and we will tell you which of these you qualify for today.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
