Temporary overseas workers having an experience in Agricultural food sector of Canada now have a new pathway for seeking permanent residence in Canada. It will take effect from 2020.
Three year Immigration Pilot:
It is a three-year Immigration Pilot with the aim of retaining overseas workers who are experienced and non-seasonal so that they can get an eligible job offer in agricultural and Agricultural food industry.
The statistics of the Government say that the industry supports around 12% jobs in the country and has recorded an export of $66.2 billion in products during 2018.
The mushroom production and meat processing industries experience continuing difficulty to find and keep new employees. Presently, migrant farm workers arriving in Canada by using the Temporary Foreign Worker program designed to attract agricultural workers of the seasonal kind, get a limited-term work permit. Moreover, there is no pathway to permanent residency for them.
Canada Temporary Foreign Worker program:
The industries/occupations eligible in the new Agricultural Food Immigration Pilot are:
• Food processing laborers
• Harvesting laborers for constant mushroom production and greenhouse crop production
General farm workers, for constant mushroom production, to raise the livestock, or for greenhouse crop production, Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers to process meat, for constant mushroom production, greenhouse crop production and to raise the livestock.
Additionally, it will accept 2,750 principal applicants each year for processing under this pilot. Accompanying family members, as per the IRCC, will allow it to welcome, 16,500 fresh permanent residents, in the course of the three-year duration, for which this pilot will run.
Statement of Agricultural -Food Immigration Pilot:
Through this, the Temporary overseas workers, arriving in the country, and those who work hard, to fill up permanent jobs, will get a reasonable chance in becoming Canadians not considering of the job they do as per Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary, Minister of Employment, Canada.
The Agricultural -Food Immigration Pilot is a part of the recent Government initiatives aiming to help temporary overseas workers to acquire permanent residence.
There were initiatives to provide a new pathway for caregivers and allotment of 2,000 extra spaces in the Provincial Nominee Programs to eligible and intermediate-skilled overseas workers.
Requirements for Eligibility
The eligibility requirements for the Agricultural Food Immigration Pilot are:
• 12-months of full-time, non-seasonal Canadian work experience in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, in eligible occupations of raising livestock, processing meat products, or growing mushrooms or in greenhouse crops;
• A CLB level 4 in English /French;
• The overseas equivalent of a high school education in Canada;
• An indeterminate full-time job offer to do non-seasonal work in the country, outside the Quebec Province, at the prevalent wage
The government stated that all the details regarding individuals to apply for this pilot will be accessible in 2020.
All Eligible employers of the meat processing sector using this pilot will get the two-year Labor Market Impact Assessment. Additionally, the meat processors must outline their plans for supporting the temporary overseas workers to get the permanent residency.
The meat processors of a Union require a letter of support from the union and those who do not have a union need to meet extra requirements to protect migrant workers.
