Dear future neighbour,
The Government of Canada is working on a new immigration stream to bring more foreign workers into the agriculture and fish/seafood processing industries. This is meant to help fill jobs that are hard to staff with local workers.
What Is This New Stream?
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It’s a special immigration program that will help farms and food-processing companies hire foreign workers.
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It will focus on seasonal farming jobs, seafood processing, and fruit/vegetable processing.
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The goal is to solve long-term labour shortages in these industries.
When Will It Start?
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The program is being developed now and is expected to launch in 2027.
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is working on it together with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
Why Is This Happening?
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Canada had a similar program before, called the Agri-Food Pilot, which helped workers in farming and food processing get permanent residency.
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That program closed to new applications in February 2025, and there’s no direct replacement yet.
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Employers still need workers, especially in rural and seasonal jobs that Canadians don’t often take.
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This new stream will help protect workers and make it easier for them to move between jobs in the same sector.
What Can Workers and Employers Expect?
| For Workers | For Employers |
|---|---|
| A chance to work legally in farming or food processing | A new way to hire international workers |
| Better job security and possibly easier job changes | A solution to hard-to-fill jobs |
| A possible path to permanent residency in the future | Less red tape and more targeted hiring |
What’s Next?
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More information will be released before the program launches.
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IRCC may open consultations with employers, worker groups, and the public to help shape the final rules.
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The government is also working on new protections for temporary foreign workers to reduce abuse and unfair treatment.
Need help with your Canadian immigration process?
Whether you’re applying for a visitor visa, submitting a work permit or visa application, creating an Expression of Interest (EOI), setting up an Express Entry or Provincial Nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an Invitation to Apply, or simply want a professional review of your self-prepared application, we’re here to assist you.
Schedule a consultation or contact us at:
info@eseumohimmigration.com