Temporary Foreign Worker Program — Agriculture ### 📋 Eligible Entities - Agricultural employers operating in Canada with a legitimate need for temporary foreign workers - Farm operations engaged in primary agriculture activities - Nursery operations requiring seasonal or temporary labour - Employers in approved agricultural streams (primary agriculture focus) - Must be a registered business in good standing with Canadian tax authorities - Must demonstrate inability to find qualified Canadian or permanent resident workers for the positions ### 💰 Funding Details - Not a grant or financial transfer — This is a labour access program, not direct funding - No government money provided to the employer - Employer costs include: - Foreign worker recruitment and hiring fees - Wage payments (must meet or exceed prevailing wage rates) - Housing provision (in some streams) - Transportation costs - Processing and compliance fees - No matching requirement or cost-sharing component - Non-repayable — employers pay all associated costs directly ### 🛠️ Approved Expenses This program does not fund business expenses. Instead, it authorizes hiring for: - Seasonal agricultural labour (planting, harvesting, general farm work) - Nursery operations (plant propagation, maintenance, landscaping preparation) - Primary agriculture activities (crop production, animal husbandry support) - Temporary positions (not permanent employment pathways, except under specific streams) - Workers are employed to perform labour; the employer bears all wage and operational costs ### ⚠️ Conditions & Milestones - Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement — Most streams require proving no Canadian workers are available - Wage compliance — Must pay at least the prevailing wage for the region and role - Housing standards — Employer may be required to provide or subsidize housing (varies by stream) - Employment contract — Written offer letter and contract required; must meet federal standards - Compliance monitoring — Service Canada and IRCC conduct inspections and audits - Processing timeline — LMIA approval typically takes 2–4 weeks; work permit processing adds 4