Agricultural Stream Labour Market Opinions

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada today announced changes to the Agricultural Stream of the Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training. The program, now referred to simply as the Agricultural Stream, was formerly limited to lower skilled (NOC C, D) primary agricultural occupations in specific commodities (see below), the program has been expanded to now include occupations of any skill classification.

Other than specific exclusions to certain occupations (i.e., agronomists, agricultural economists, landscape architecture, marketing activities of commission merchants and co-operative associations, provision of feed lot services, preparation of vegetable fibres for textile use, service activities to promote commercial hunting and trapping, veterinary activities), Canadian employers seeking to hire foreign workers in any NOC classification (i.e., NOC 0, A, B, C, D) may now opt to use the Agricultural Stream in addition to the Stream for Higher Skilled Occupations and the Stream for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal training, as applicable. As the prevailing wage and advertising requirements may differ between these programs, proper selection could offer an advantage to such employers.

The following commodities remain eligible in the Agricultural Stream at present:

• apiary products
• fruits, vegetables (excluding legumes), flowers, Christmas trees (including on-farm canning/processing, greenhouses/nurseries)
• pedigreed canola seed
• sod
• tobacco
• bovine
• dairy
• duck
• horse
• mink
• poultry
• sheep
• swine

Date Posted: July 31, 2012 Posted In: Labour Market Opinion

Tags: hrsdc, LMO, Service Canada