Thousands of migrant food workers, including many UFCW members, were able to obtain permanent residency in Canada under the Agri-Food Pilot Program. Now, with the pilot finished, migrant food workers have very few options to build a life in Canada. UFCW Canada is demanding that the federal government provide a permanent federal pathway to allow migrant food workers to obtain permanent residency.
For five years, the Canada’s Federal Agri-Food Pilot program gave the opportunity for thousands of food workers, including hundreds of UFCW members, the opportunity to obtain permanent residency in Canada. Launched in May 2020 as a direct result of UFCW Canada’s political action and legislative efforts, the pilot helped provide opportunities for experienced and skilled workers in agricultural and food industries to achieve Permanent Residency (PR) in Canada.
As a result, close to 5,000 food workers, including hundreds of UFCW Canada members and their families, were able to obtain permanent residency and build lives in Canada as hardworking union members contributing to our country’s food systems. Now, that pathway is cut off.
When the Agri-Food Pilot ended in May 2025, migrant food workers have little to no pathways to build a life in the country where they work.
The Agri-Food Pilot, as a result of UFCW Canada advocacy, allowed for unions to play a key role in the process of their members’ path to permanent residency. UFCW Canada, as the Food Worker’s Union, supported hundreds of our own members through the process of obtaining permanent residency through our Migrant Members Support Program.
Under the Agri-Food Pilot:
There is a central role for the food workers’ union in designing and delivering the pathway to permanent residency for agri-food workers: the above elements of the Agri-Food Pilot must be transferred to the permanent federal pathway.
Any worker that comes to Canada and makes our food system possible should have the opportunity to pursue permanent residency in Canada.
However, there are few options for food workers here under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program: many UFCW migrant members deserve to build a life here, but this has become much more difficult with the loss of the Agri-Food Pilot.
The Provincial programs are woefully inadequate: many of them exclude some of the most important job categories (NOCs) in the agrifood sector. For example, a harvesting mushroom worker in British Columbia is currently excluded from their In-Demand Workers stream. In addition, the burdensome scoring systems disadvantages migrant food workers, and in some jurisdictions, such as Ontario, unions are prohibited from representing workers during the immigration process.
Now, more than ever, federal government must provide these essential workers with a permanent and accessible pathway to permanent residency. In addition, we urge provincial governments to remove unnecessary barriers to permanent resident for food workers.
Migrant food workers bring invaluable skills and experience to our food system. Their contributions are irreplaceable, yet their futures remain uncertain due to insufficient support and limited pathways to permanent residency.
It is time for a renewed commitment to our food system. We need a Federal inclusive and accessible pathway to permanent residency for all migrant food workers.
