Overview

• ESDC is reviewing feedback on a discussion paper for a new agriculture and fish processing stream that could launch in 2027.
• The draft proposal would allow employers to charge 5–30% of migrant workers’ pre-tax income for housing, replacing the current no-cost model under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.
• Sector-specific work permits would untie migrants from single employers, but advocates warn that a limited pool of approved employers and poor rural connectivity may still restrict mobility.
• Advocates including an unnamed Jamaican worker and the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change call a 30% housing deduction “wickedness” and “a massive theft,” citing UN concerns over modern slavery.
• Agricultural industry groups want to preserve current housing and mobility provisions and ESDC has added a Service Canada tip line for reporting unsafe conditions.