IRCC OFFICIALLY CONFIRMS THE CLOSURE OF THE AGRI-FOOD PILOT 2025
IRCC has updated its operational guidance for the Agri-Food Pilot (AFP) following the program’s official closure on May 14, 2025. The update also confirms the maximum intake cap for 2025 is 1,010 applications. All technical instructions have been revised to reflect these two changes.
The update does not reopen the program, does not add new spots and does not create any exceptions. IRCC is simply standardizing the guidance to match the closure phase and to manage the remaining files in the system.
- AFP fully closed as of May 14, 2025
Key points:
• AFP is no longer accepting new applications.
• Any application submitted after this date is considered invalid.
• Only applications submitted on time and falling within the 1,010 quota will continue to be processed.
Anyone still expecting a reopening needs a more realistic view. This was a time-limited pilot program and IRCC has closed it exactly as planned.
- 2025 application cap: 1,010 files
This number is not the volume received; it is the ceiling IRCC allows. Once the quota reaches 1,010, all applications exceeding that limit are refused outright.
This shows IRCC intends to close out AFP in a controlled way, avoiding a backlog and ensuring the program ends cleanly.
- Detailed updates in processing instructions
IRCC has revised multiple sections of its internal guidance, including:
• Intake and triage procedures at CIO
• How applications enter formal processing
• Selection criteria
• Assessment of economic establishment
• Special cases (other situations)
• Admissibility review and final decision
• Pre-PR issuance checks
The goal is to ensure officers apply rules consistently for the final AFP applications and to prevent loose interpretation during the wind-down phase.
- What applicants need to understand
• AFP is not returning, at least not in its current form.
• If you submitted before the deadline and your application is within the quota, processing continues as normal.
• Those planning to apply under low-skill agricultural pathways should shift to alternatives such as RNIP, AIP, agriculture-related PNP streams or any temporary pathway IRCC may introduce in the future. - How SICON can support you
• Review pending AFP files to assess real risks.
• Identify strategic alternatives for agricultural workers now that AFP has closed.
• Advise on a realistic settlement strategy based on your experience, location, provincial support options and long-term immigration goals.
