2026 amendments to the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program employment contract with Mexico
This page is intended to provide a summary of the amendments to the above-mentioned employment contract. All parties are encouraged to review the appropriate employment contract in its entirety to remain informed on applicable terms and requirements.
The following sections and clauses of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) employment contract with Mexico have been amended for the 2026 season:
Contract introduction and Section 1: Scope and period of employment, clause 2
The introduction and the clause were amended to replace the numeric year with "and year", eliminating the need for annual updates.
2. Section 1: Scope and period of employment, clause 3
The clause was amended to clarify that workers can refuse to take on extra working hours.
3. Section 1: Scope and period of employment, clause 5 and Section 8: Obligations of employer, clause 3
Clause 1.5 was amended to avoid contract redundancy with regards to the obligations of employers to display copies of the rules of conduct, safety, discipline, care and maintenance of property in visible areas of the workers' living quarters. Clause 8.3, which was similar to clause 1.5, has been removed.
4. Section 1: Scope and period of employment, new clause 7
A new clause was added to ensure the private lives of workers during their days off and outside of their designated working hours are respected. In addition, a new section of this clause was added to respect the general privacy of employers.
5. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part A, clause 1
This clause was modified to emphasize that the employer must provide to the worker safe, clean and adequate standard of living in dignified conditions focusing on the worker's human rights and gender-appropriate living accommodations.
6. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part A, clauses 1, 2 and 3
This clause was modified to divide the clause into 3 clauses to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved related to accommodations, improving the readability of the clause and separating the cleaning supplies information into a new clause.
7. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part A, clause 4
This clause was modified to increase the weekly amount from $16.50 to $16.83 towards laundry costs that the employer is responsible to provide the worker where accommodations require paid laundry facilities.
8. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part A, new clause 4a
A new clause was added to define the adequate number of washing and drying machines that should be provided within the employer-provided accommodation that is aligned with the Schedule F – Housing Inspection Report (HIR).
9. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part A, new clause 6
A new clause was added to mandate that employer-provided accommodations are equipped with exterior locking doors and windows, with door keys or numeric codes provided to workers at no cost. In case of lost keys, a reasonable cost shall apply, no greater than $10.00.
10. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part A, clause 9
This amendment increases the amount that can be deducted by employers for utility costs in applicable provinces by 1.75%, up to $2.80 per day, based on the consumer price index (CPI) methodology. The increase is based on the methodology used to update the utility deduction for the 2026 contract for employment.
11. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part A, clause 12
For British Columbia only, the permitted amount for the accommodation deduction increased by 2.40%, up to $5.99 per working day, and is not to exceed $923.82 during the worker's stay in Canada.
12. Section 2: Lodging, meals and rest periods, part B, clause 13b
Where the worker and the employer agree that the latter provides meals to the worker, the nationwide permitted amount for meal deduction will increase by 2.00% and is not to exceed $7.21 per day.
13. Section 3: Payment of wages, clause 6
In Canada, the recognition payment has increased by 2.00% to $4.44 per week, to a maximum of $142.17.
14. Section 3: Payment of wages, clause 8a
This clause was modified to revise the name of the ministry referenced as it is no longer accurate. Instead of the title of the specific ministry, it is modified with a more general reference to the Government of British Columbia as the ministry name can be changed in future.
15. Section 5: Health and safety of workers, clause 3
This clause was amended to remove the term "disability" before "compensation" since compensation applies in the event of death or injury resulting in loss of employment or in medical leave. This makes the language more generic and applicable to both instances.
16. Section 6: Maintenance of work records and statement of earnings, clause 3
This clause was amended to correct the contract regarding the requirement for the employer to provide the worker with a complete T4 by the last day of February, rather than February 28, to avoid confusion during leap years.
17. Section 6: Maintenance of work records and statement of earnings, clause 4
This clause was modified to clarify that employers must pay an advance to the worker so they can purchase food/personal items if needed. Replacing "may" with "shall" ensures the for-contract language does not suggest that it is optional for employers to pay an advance to workers.
18. Section 7: Travel and reception arrangements, clause 1
This clause was amended to specify that included in the cost of air transportation is 1 carry-on bag along with 1 checked bag and 1 meal in each direction. This will prevent the worker from having to pay for luggage fees.
19. Section 7: Travel and reception arrangements, new clause 2c
This clause was added to ensure that in the event a worker in transit must stay overnight for 8 hours on arrival or 10 hours on departure or more, the employer provides the worker with hotel accommodation and meals.
20. Section 7: Travel and reception arrangements, clause 5
The maximum airfare deductions were updated for the upcoming 2026 season. These deductions are updated each year based on the provincial seasonal airfare costs.
21. Section 8: Obligations of the employer, clause 3c
This clause was amended to ensure that workers are provided with information and training on the use of pesticides in accordance with applicable provincial/territorial legislation at no cost to the workers.
22. Section 10. Early cessation of employment, clause 2
This clause was amended to extend the application of the 96 hours, the maximum waiting period to go without work or compensation, at the end of the contract, to ensure that, notwithstanding the cause of early cessation of employment, the mutual obligations stipulated in this contract, such as the employer providing accommodation to the worker, will continue to be valid until the date of return or transfer of the worker.