How to Immigrate to Canada as a Farmer
Canada’s economy has always relied on natural resources with many of the 13 provinces and territories having an emphasis on industries like fishing, forestry, energy and agriculture.
This last sector is actually very crucial to the economy and is not always being fed by local skills. For example, in 1931, one in three members of the Canadian population was in the farming sector compared to in 2016 when only one in 58 Canadians were involved. For this reason, there are several Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams that list agriculture as one of their in-demand sectors while others are more directed and are only open for farmers to apply to.
Addressing the labour market shortages in agriculture is in line with the federal government’s plans to invite over a million immigrants into the economy within the next three years to address labour market shortages. Of course, the majority of farms are found in rural area versus the populated cities of Canada.
This can be a refreshing change of pace for newcomers while providing a lot of room for growth for you and your family. Read on to find out how to immigrate to Canada as a farmer (as well as why it’s a worthy profession) with these immigration streams.
Why Farming? If you are a farmer or someone with farm operating experience, Canada is one of the best places worldwide to enter this sector. One out of every 14 farms in the country’s 13 provinces and territories are immigrant-owned with the most expat-owned farms being located in Prince Edward Island (PEI) as well as Newfoundland and Labrador.
Farming Provinces and immigration programs
While there are many ways that you can immigrate to Canada as a farmer or entrepreneur, the following streams cater directly to farmers looking to settle in one of Canada’s 13 provinces. They fall under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) which was designed to target candidates who can occupy specific vacancies that can’t be filled locally.
Alberta : Self-employed Farmer Stream
Manitoba : Business Investor Category
Saskatchewan : Entrepreneur & Farm Category
