Express Entry Draw Category Added For Agriculture And Agri-Food Occupations

In an effort to address shortages in the Canadian labour market, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates. Express Entry candidates with strong French language proficiency or work experience in healthcare, STEM professions, trades, transport, or agriculture and agri-food will be given preference. IRCC has already conducted several draws inviting healthcare workers and those in STEM professions to apply for permanent residency.

Canada's Express Entry for Agriculture and Agri-food Occupations

IRCC carried out consultations to gather input and recommendations from various stakeholders and the public in order to determine immigration selection priorities and categories. Additionally, IRCC collaborated with provincial and territorial representatives to understand their specific needs and priorities.

Based on the responses gathered, it was indicated that agriculture occupations were among the top four areas facing significant workforce requirements.

By the end of 2022, the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting sector had a total of 10,535 job vacancies, representing a vacancy rate of 3.9%. These job vacancies were distributed across different provinces as follows:

• Nova Scotia: 425

• Quebec: 1,950

• Ontario: 3,070

• Manitoba: 550

• Saskatchewan: 540

• PEI: 130

• New Brunswick: 720

• British Columbia: 2,475

• Alberta: 940

Lists of Agriculture Occupations

There are 3 occupations in the agriculture and agri-food occupation category. These include:

• Farm supervisors and agriculture service contractors

• Supervisors & contractors, grounds maintenance, landscaping, and horticulture services

• Butchers – retail and wholesale

Eligibility Criteria For The Agriculture Occupations Category

• One must fulfill the eligibility requirements for one of the Express Entry programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades Program.

• An individual must have had a continuous work experience of at least 6 months in one of the specified occupations within the past 3 years.

• All other requirements mentioned in the instructions for the round must also be met by the applicant.

Factors to Consider Comprehensive Ranking System

In addition to the general and program-specific draws, there will be category-based draws in the Express Entry system. These draws aim to invite high-ranking candidates who can contribute to filling Canadian labour and job market gaps and furthering economic goals. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is used to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool based on factors such as age, education, language skills, work experience, and more. The CRS score will continue to play a crucial role in category-based draws, where candidates with the highest scores and eligibility for the specific category will receive invitations to apply (ITA).