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Source verified July 29, 2026
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture
Hire foreign workers for primary agriculture jobs
Latest source updateLast Update: September 21, 2026Latest change: The Program requirements page for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program now spells out who qualifies as the employer and adds new rules on third-party representatives, recruiters, abuse-free workplaces, and business legitimacy.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: September 21, 2026
Latest change: The Program requirements page for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program now spells out who qualifies as the employer and adds new rules on third-party representatives, recruiters, abuse-free workplaces, and business legitimacy.
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program requirements updated
The Program requirements page now gives a detailed employer test for SAWP, including who counts as the employer and that staffing or employment agencies are not considered employers for this program. It also adds new restrictions on misclassifying temporary foreign workers as independent contractors, plus consequences such as administrative monetary penalties and bans from the TFW Program. The page also expands requirements for third-party representatives, recruiters, abuse-free workplace reviews for employers with no temporary foreign worker use in the past 6 years, affiliated employers, and business legitimacy documentation. The page date shown at the bottom is 2026-09-18.
Funding available
Varies by project
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Canada
Overview
The Agricultural stream lets employers hire temporary foreign workers when Canadians and permanent residents are not available for eligible primary agriculture jobs. Eligible positions must be on-farm and tied to specific commodity sectors, such as livestock care, crop planting and harvesting, or operating agricultural machinery.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Attract or retain talent
Eligible Funding
- Varies by project
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- Sole proprietorship
- Non-financial cooperative
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- On-farm primary agriculture work within the boundaries of a farm, nursery or greenhouse
- Operation of agricultural machinery
- Animal boarding, care, breeding, sanitation or other handling, other than fish, to obtain raw animal products for market, including related collection, handling and assessment activities
- Planting, care, harvesting or preparation of crops, trees, sod or other plants for market
Documents Needed
- Most recent business license
- Most recent Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) tax documents
- Proof of recruitment and advertisement efforts
- Copy of the signed off-site housing contract, if applicable
- Housing inspection report, or Schedule F – Housing inspection report seasonal agricultural worker program and agricultural stream if no standard inspection form is available
Official resources
Program guide
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Employers
Who is not eligible
- Employers that regularly offer services in the sex industry, such as nude or erotic dancing, escort services, or erotic massage
- Employers on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada list of ineligible employers, including employers found non-compliant following an employer compliance review, employers banned from participating in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program because non-compliance was identified during an inspection, and employers that have not paid an administrative monetary penalty
Selection criteria
- Certain essential occupations are prioritized across all provinces and territories, except in Quebec, including 82030, 84120, 85100, 85101 and 85103.
- Any refusal to process supersedes prioritization.
- Service Canada assesses the genuineness of the job offer based on the employer’s business activity, employment need, ability to fulfil the offer, and compliance with employment and recruitment legislation.
- Service Canada also assesses labour market impact, including wages and working conditions, the occupation, recruitment and advertisement efforts, benefits to the labour market, union consultations, and the effect on the settlement of a labour dispute.
How to apply
- Review the program requirements and complete the minimum required advertising for at least 14 consecutive calendar days within the 3 months before applying for an LMIA.
- Gather supporting documents for the LMIA application, including business legitimacy documents, proof of recruitment and advertisement efforts, and housing documents if applicable.
- Meet any provincial requirements, including obtaining an employer registration certificate or proof of exemption in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Nova Scotia, or submitting simultaneously to Service Canada and MIFI for Quebec positions over 30 consecutive days.
- Sign in to LMIA Online with a Job Bank for employers account, then create, complete and submit the application from the Employer Dashboard.
- Upload the required documents and pay the processing fee if applicable; if you need to change streams after submission, withdraw and reapply under the new stream.
Processing and Agreement
- Service Canada assesses the LMIA application and issues a positive or negative decision based on the application and supporting documents.
- The assessment verifies employer eligibility, the consistency and genuineness of the job offer, and the labour market impact.
- Service Canada may temporarily suspend LMIA processing if suspected non-compliance could put the health or safety of temporary foreign workers at serious risk.
- Once the assessment is complete, the employer is notified in writing of the final decision.
- If the LMIA is positive, it is valid for up to 6 months after issue; for jobs in Quebec, the employer must also send the Quebec Acceptance Certificate to the temporary foreign worker.
Additional information
- Employers in Quebec must follow variations to the requirements and process and consult the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration.
- LMIA applications for low-wage positions may request an employment duration of up to 2 years, while high-wage positions may request up to 3 years, aligned with reasonable employment needs.
- An unnamed LMIA is available under the Agricultural stream, but it is not currently available for positions in Quebec.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture Program
What is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture?
The Agricultural stream lets employers hire temporary foreign workers when Canadians and permanent residents are not available for eligible primary agriculture jobs. Eligible positions must be on-farm and tied to specific commodity sectors, such as livestock care, crop planting and harvesting, or operating agricultural machinery.
What is the deadline to apply?
The program is accepting continuous intake
Who is eligible for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture program?
To be eligible for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture program, you must:
Production must be in a commodity sector on the national commodity list.
The activity must be related to on-farm primary agriculture.
The position must meet the primary agriculture definition, including eligible work duties and NOC codes.
What expenses are eligible under Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture?
On-farm primary agriculture work within the boundaries of a farm, nursery or greenhouse
Operation of agricultural machinery
Animal boarding, care, breeding, sanitation or other handling, other than fish, to obtain raw animal products for market, including related collection, handling and assessment activities
Planting, care, harvesting or preparation of crops, trees, sod or other plants for market
Who can I contact for more information about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture?
You can contact Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) by email at ESDC.WT.TFWP-PTET.WT.EDSC@servicecanada.gc.ca or by phone at 1-800-367-5693.
Where is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture available?
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture program is available across Canada.
Is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) — Agriculture is a Other Support