If you are a citizen of the twelve countries listed below, you may be eligible to apply for a Work Permit under the Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program (SAWP). The article explains what the SAWP is, and its requirements for temporary workers.
Overview of the SAWP
The Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program was born more than 50 years ago, following the signing by Canada of bilateral conventions with the participating countries. These conventions describe the responsibilities of the participating countries' governments:
Your Work Permit cannot exceed 8 months, between the January 1st and December 15th of each year.
You may be asked to work on more than one farm while you’re in Canada. You don’t need a new work permit for each employer.
If you are hired to work as a seasonal farmer in Quebec, you will need to apply for a "Certificat d'Acceptation du Québec" (CAQ). You can find more information here.
You will need to enter into contact with your government officials. They are responsible for hiring workers under this program and help you gather all the documents needed to apply for the Work Permit.
- keep a list of farm workers,
- help with the gathering of documents, and
- provide a person of contact in Canada to supply assistance when in need.
Your Work Permit cannot exceed 8 months, between the January 1st and December 15th of each year.
You may be asked to work on more than one farm while you’re in Canada. You don’t need a new work permit for each employer.
If you are hired to work as a seasonal farmer in Quebec, you will need to apply for a "Certificat d'Acceptation du Québec" (CAQ). You can find more information here.
You will need to enter into contact with your government officials. They are responsible for hiring workers under this program and help you gather all the documents needed to apply for the Work Permit.
Eligibility of the SAWP
List of eligible countries
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Barbados
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Montserrat
- St. Kitts-Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
Processing Times of the SAWP
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a target service standard of processing 80% of work permit applications submitted outside Canada within 60 days.
From April 2022 to March 2023, IRCC processed 61% of applications within the 60-day standard.
You can check the current average processing times for a SAWP application here. You need to select "Temporary residence (visiting, studying, working)", then "Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)".
From April 2022 to March 2023, IRCC processed 61% of applications within the 60-day standard.
You can check the current average processing times for a SAWP application here. You need to select "Temporary residence (visiting, studying, working)", then "Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)".