How to Apply for Farm Jobs in Canada From Abroad

Getting a farm job in Canada from abroad is employer-driven: a Canadian farm decides to hire you, gets government approval and then you apply for a work permit. This walkthrough covers each stage for workers outside the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, which includes most of Africa, Asia and Europe.

Use Job Bank the right way

Job Bank (jobbank.gc.ca) is the federal government’s own job site. Useful search terms include general farm worker, fruit picker, greenhouse worker, nursery worker, harvest labourer and livestock worker. Many postings say whether the employer will consider applicants from outside Canada. Read the wage, hours, location and housing details on each ad, and apply using the method the employer lists.

Set up job alerts so new postings reach you by email, and keep a simple list of the employers you have contacted, the date and the reply. Applying to many farms is normal; employers often hire several months before the season starts, and some close their recruitment once the LMIA is approved. If an ad looks interesting but unclear, write to the employer with a short, polite question rather than guessing.

Write a short, practical resume

• One page, in English or French.
• Farm, garden, construction or other physical work you have done, with dates.
• Machinery or tools you can use, and any driving licence.
• Your availability and the season you can start.

Canadian employers prefer simple, honest resumes. Avoid long personal statements; instead list what you can actually do, such as pruning, operating a tractor, milking, packing or irrigation work, and say for how long you did it. Include a phone number and email you check daily, and make sure your name matches your passport. A short reference from a previous supervisor, with a contact number, adds credibility.

How employers get approval to hire you

Once an employer picks you, it asks Employment and Social Development Canada for an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) under the Agricultural Stream. As part of that, the employer commits to the program’s conditions: suitable housing (with on-farm housing deductions capped at $30 a week), round-trip transportation paid by the employer and not recovered from you, private emergency health insurance where needed, and no recruitment fees charged to the worker by the employer or anyone recruiting for it.

What harvest workers are actually paid

Job Bank publishes wage data for crop farm labourers in harvesting (NOC 85101). Across Canada, the low end is about $16 an hour, the median about $18 and the high end about $25. The top of the range is mostly in the Prairies:

Area	Low / median / high (per hour)
Canada	$16 / $18 / $25
Saskatchewan	$20 / $26 / $33
Alberta	$16 / $20 / $30
Manitoba	$17 / $22 / $29.78
Quebec	$16.60 / $19 / $25
Ontario	$17.60 / $17.71 / $22.50
British Columbia	$18.25 / $18.25 / $20

“Up to $30 an hour” therefore describes the upper end in a few provinces, not a typical wage. Most workers earn near the median for their province, and the exact rate for each job is shown on its Job Bank posting. Source: Job Bank wage report, NOC 85101, reviewed October 2026.

Which program applies to your country

The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is limited to citizens of Mexico and 11 Caribbean countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. If you live in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, the Philippines or most other countries, SAWP is not open to you, and the route is a job offer from a farm that obtains an LMIA under the Agricultural Stream.

Galo Hoje is an information site, not an employer, recruiter or immigration consultant.

Filing your work permit

With a positive LMIA and a job offer, you apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for an employer-specific work permit. IRCC’s website lists the documents, fees and any biometrics or medical exam required for your country. You can apply yourself; if you hire a paid representative, make sure they are an authorised immigration consultant or lawyer.

What happens when you arrive

A border officer issues your work permit when you land, based on IRCC’s approval. Because the permit is tied to the employer named on it, you work for that farm. The employer should explain your housing, schedule, safety training and how pay and deductions work. Keep copies of your contract, permit and payslips.

Your first days usually include a farm orientation: where you will live, how pay and deductions work, safety rules for machinery and chemicals, and who to contact if you have a problem. Ask questions during this time, because it is easier to clear up confusion early than in the middle of the harvest. Open a bank account if your employer recommends one, so your wages can be deposited directly.

A year on a Canadian farm

Season	Typical work
Spring	Planting, pruning, greenhouse starts
Summer	Picking berries, vegetables and tree fruit
Autumn	Apple, grape and root-crop harvests, packing
Winter	Greenhouse, nursery and year-round livestock work

Your rights as a foreign worker

Temporary foreign workers in Canada are covered by the same provincial employment standards as Canadian workers: minimum wage, rest periods and safe working conditions. Your employer cannot take your passport or work permit away from you. If something goes wrong, Employment and Social Development Canada runs a confidential tip line for reporting employer abuse: 1-866-602-9448, open around the clock, with live agents in more than 200 languages on weekdays.

Keep your own records: a notebook or phone note with the hours you worked each day, plus copies of every payslip. If the pay ever looks wrong, these records make it much easier to resolve the issue with your employer or, if needed, with the provincial employment standards office.

Coming back next season

Farms often rehire workers who did well. Ask your employer before the season ends whether they plan to hire again, and keep your documents valid so a new work permit application is quick.

Before you travel

• Warm work clothes and bootsCanadian mornings can be cold even in the growing season.
• Copies of every documentContract, permit approval letter, passport and emergency contacts.
• Some money for the first weeksUntil your first pay arrives.

Checklist before you apply

• One-page resume ready.
• Passport valid well beyond your intended stay.
• Shortlist of employers found on Job Bank or their own websites.
• No payments made to anyone for a job.

Sources: Employment and Social Development Canada, Agricultural Stream and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program requirements; IRCC work permit information (canada.ca); reviewed October 2026. Galo Hoje is not an employer, recruiter or immigration consultant.