Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it is now capping the intake for permanent residence applications under the Agri-Food Pilot at 1,010 spaces. Applications can be submitted until the pilot expires on May 14, 2025, or until 1,010 applications have been received—whichever comes first. This is because, due to high demand, interest in this pilot exceeds the spaces available under the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan.
The Agri-Food Pilot is an economic pilot established under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. According to the pilot regulations, it can only run for a maximum of 5 years, and this time period will be reached on May 14, 2025. The pilot cannot be extended beyond this date.
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Other programs available to agri-food workers include federal high-skilled programs managed by Express Entry and regional economic immigration programs, such as the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and the recently announced Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots. In the coming years, IRCC will continue processing applications received on or before the pilot’s end date and under the cap, in line with the targets established in the Immigration Levels Plan.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.