On January 3rd, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that, effective immediately, applications for the Agri-Food Pilot program will be capped at 1,010 for the remainder of the year. Once this application cap is reached, or by May 14, 2025, whichever comes first, IRCC will no longer accept applications for this program.
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Why the Cap?
The Agri-Food Pilot program was established in 2020 in efforts of addressing labour shortages in certain industries. Since its implementation in 2020, over 4,500 workers and their families have settled in Canada with 1,775 individuals joining in 2024 alone.
Due to the program’s popularity, the number of applications has exceeded the available spots. With the limited number of spaces available for the Agri-Food Pilot under Canada’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC has decided to put a cap on the number of applications at 1,010 for 2025. Given that the Agri-Food Pilot program can run for a maximum of five years, this decision comes as the program nears its end, with a firm end date of May 14, 2025. Once this date arrives, the pilot program will close, and it cannot be extended.
Next Steps for Agri-Food Workers?
For workers in the agri-food sector, there are other immigration pathways available. Canada offers many different immigration pathways such as high-skilled programs like Express Entry, as well as regional economic immigration programs like the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), the Atlantic Immigration Program, and the new Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilot programs. These alternatives pathways can help skilled workers settle in Canada despite the cap on the agri-food pilot program.
Act Now
If you’re an agri-food worker interested in permanent residency and wish to apply to this program before the cap has been reached, it would be important to start the process as soon as possible. Contact us today at Canadim to submit your application before the cap is reached or before the pilot program expires on May 14, 2025, to make sure you meet all the eligibility criteria.
Written by
Mariam Baher
Immigration Journalist
Mariam holds a Bachelor of Journalism with a minor in English from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Her early interest in the intersection of law and marketing has grown into nearly seven years of experience in legal marketing, where her journalism background brings a storyteller's perspective to strategic, engaging marketing initiatives within the legal industry.
