Provincial In-Demand Skills Immigration Streams
In addition to the Federal Agri-Food Pilot, many provinces offer their own Provincial Nominee program to allow workers here on temporary work visas a pathway to Permanent Residency in Canada. Many provinces have specific options for workers here in agriculture, food processing, hospitality and more.
Find your National Occupation Classification (NOC) here. The NOC system categorizes jobs and occupations. Certain immigration options are only eligible to workers in a specific NOC category.
For UFCW members, many provinces have streams for "in-demand" jobs in UFCW's core industries such as food processing and manufacturing, hotel and hospitality, health care and more. Listed below are some suggested pathways to permanent residency for our members, based on province of residence.
Information is up to date as of December 15, 2023.
Alberta
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) offers some options for workers residing in Alberta on temporary worker permits.
The Alberta Express Entry stream offers priority for healthcare workers, and workers in the agriculture and hospitality industries. This applies to individuals who have already created a profile in the Federal Express Entry system. Individuals who have demonstrated ties to Alberta and have the necessary skills to contribute to the province’s economic growth may be invited by the province to submit an application.
The Rural Renewal Stream applies to workers in designated rural Alberta communities. Temporary foreign workers who have a job offer from an Alberta employer in a designated community, and an endorsement letter from a designated community, can then apply.
British Columbia
British Columbia has two immigration streams that are tailored for workers in applicable industries for UFCW members.
Health Authority Stream
The Health Authority streamgives a permanent residence pathway to people working for a health authority in B.C.
Relevant occupations include nurse aides, orderlies, pharmacy assistants, medical laboratory assistants, early childhood educators and more.
Some of the NOCs included in Health Authority Stream
- 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- 33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- 31301 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- 33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
- 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- 32102 Paramedical occupations
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Stream
The Entry Level and Semi-Skilled streamis a way for workers in select occupations in the tourism/hospitality or food processing sectors to gain permanent residence in B.C.
Relevant occupations include hotel front desk clerks, food and beverage servers, kitchen helpers, hotel light duty cleaners, food and beverage processing machine operators, industrial butchers, and more.
Some of the NOCs included in Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Stream
- 64314 Hotel front desk clerks
- 64300 Maîtres d’hotel and hosts/hostesses
- 64301 Bartenders
- 65200 Food and beverage servers
- 65201 Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
- 94140 Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
- 94141 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
- 94142 Fish and seafood plant workers
- 94143 Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
- 95106 Labourers in food and beverage processing
- 65310 Light duty cleaners (employed by hotels/resorts)
- 65312 Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners (employed by hotels/resorts)
- 65320 Dry cleaning, laundry and related occupations (employed by hotels/resorts)
Manitoba
Workers in Manitoba on temporary work permits may qualify for the Skilled Worker Stream in Manitoba. To qualify for the Skilled Worker in Manitoba, you must demonstrate an ongoing Manitoba employment. This requires that a Manitoba company has offered you a full-time, long-term job after six continuous months of full-time employment with that company.
New Brunswick
Workers in New Brunswick on temporary work permits may qualify for the New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream. This stream is designed for is designed for Foreign Nationals who possess the skills, education and work experience needed to contribute to New Brunswick’s economy. Candidates must meet the program’s minimum eligibility requirements, have a genuine offer of employment from a New Brunswick Employer and have the full intent to live and work in the province on a permanent basis.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Workers in Newfoundland and Labrador k on temporary work permits may qualify for the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP). This program facilitates the immigration of individuals who can make a positive contribution to the province’s economy and who intend to permanently settle in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Successful applicants may become permanent residents of Canada.
Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia Occupations in Demandstream targets occupations that are in high labour market demand in Nova Scotia Occupations in Demand Stream. In order to be eligible, you must have a full-time permanent job offer from a Nova Scota employer.
Current occupations in demand include nurse aides, food and beverage servers, light duty cleaners and more.
Some of the NOCs included in Nova Scotia Occupations in Demand stream
- NOC 33102 (Nurse Aides)
- NOC 65200 (Food and beverage servers)
- NOC 65201 (Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations)
- NOC 65310 (Light duty cleaners)
Ontario
The Ontario In-Demand Skills stream gives foreign workers with a job offer in specific in-demand occupations such as in agriculture, construction, and other select occupations the opportunity to apply to permanently live and work in Ontario.
You must have a job offer for a full-time and permanent position in an eligible occupation in order to qualify. Current eligible occupations include home support workers, meat cutters, industrial butchers, food and beverage processing machine operators, and more.
Some of the NOCs included in the Ontario In-Demand Skills Stream
- NOC 44101 - Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
- NOC 65202 - Meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale
- NOC 85101 - Harvesting labourers
- NOC 85103 - Nursery and greenhouse labourers
- NOC 94141 - Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
- NOC 94140 - Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing*
- NOC 95106 – Labourers in food and beverage processing
*please note: must be outside the Greater Toronto Area
Prince Edward Island
The PEI Occupations in Demand stream is aimed at workers in specific industries who have a full-time, non-seasonal permanent job offer from a PEI employer.
Current eligible occupations include nurse aides, light duty cleaners and machine operators in food and beverage processing and more.
Some of the NOCs included in the PEI Occupations in Demand Stream
- NOC 33102 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates);
- NOC 65310 (Light duty cleaners);
- NOC 94140 (Process control and machine operators food and beverage processing); or
- NOC 94141 (Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers),
Quebec
The Government of Quebec has a Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for temporary foreign workers in the food-processing sector.
If you are in Quebec as a temporary foreign worker, you can apply for PR if you have a minimum of 24 months year of non-seasonal, full-time work in Quebec in an eligible industry, such as meatpacking, food processing and more.
Some of the NOCs included in the Quebec Food Processing Pilot Program
- NOC 9462 – Industrial butcher and meat cutter, poultry preparer and related worker
- NOC 9617 – Labourer in food and beverage processing
- NOC 9461 – Process control and machine operator, food and beverage processing
- NOC 9463 – Fish and seafood plant worker
Workers in the food manufacturing and beverage manufacturing sectors are eligible to apply.
Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot is aimed at intermediate and low-skilled workers in eligible, high-demand occupations who have an offer for a job in Saskatchewan.
Current eligible occupations include nurse aides, pharmacy assistants, home support workers, hotel front desk clerks, food and beverage servers, industrial butchers, food and beverage processing workers and more.
Some of the NOCs included in the Saskatchewan Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot
- 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient associates
- 33103 Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- 33109 Other assisting occupations in support of health services
- 44101 Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations*
- 64314 Hotel front desk clerks
- 65102 Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers
- 65200 Food and beverage servers
- 65201 Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
- 65310 Light duty cleaners
- 65312 Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners
- 85101 Harvesting labourers
- 94140 Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated processing
- 94141 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
- 95106 Labourers in food, beverage and associated Products processing
