Agri-Food  Pilot (AFP) Program: Other situations

The Agri-Food Pilot ended on May 14, 2025.

On this page

• Adding a family member
• Changing employers
• Changing immigration categories

Adding a family member

If the principal applicant’s family composition changes during processing, the principal applicant must inform IRCC.

During processing, a principal applicant can add a new family member as a dependant, such as a newborn or adopted child or a new spouse or common-law partner. The principal applicant may also request that a family member originally declared as non-accompanying be included as accompanying.

Officers should not process a request to add a spouse or child (as an accompanying dependant) if the principal applicant does not appear to meet the eligibility requirements.

If the principal applicant will meet the eligibility requirements and wants to add their family member(s) to the application, the following must be submitted by the principal applicant:

• applicable fees
  • processing fees (if accompanying)
  • biometric fees and right of permanent residence fees (RPRF) (if accompanying and if applicable)
• proof of relationship (birth certificate, marriage certificate, documents in support of a common-law relationship)
• all applicable immigration forms: IMM 0008, IMM 5406 (if over 18) and Schedule A (if over 18)

Once all the required forms and applicable fees have been submitted, the officer will

• add the dependant in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) (or change from non-accompanying to accompanying in GCMS)
• apply the processing fees (and biometric fees and RPRF, if applicable)
• verify that the applicant continues to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds available for their family, including the new family member(s)
• review admissibility requirements. The added family member(s) must pass medical and background checks. The officer will request medical examinations if not already done as a non-accompanying dependant, request biometrics (if applicable), and review all admissibility requirements such as criminality and security.

Changing employers

An applicant who has a permanent residence application in processing may obtain a new genuine offer of employment only under 1 of the following circumstances:

• The initial employer from whom the applicant has an offer of employment becomes an employer who has been non-compliant as referred to in paragraph 200(3)(h) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).
• The initial employer is no longer able to provide employment to the employee under the conditions of the current job offer.
• The applicant is provided an offer of employment with better terms and conditions from a different employer.

Changing immigration categories

If an applicant has applied in another category and subsequently submits a new application under the Agri-Food Pilot (AFP) Program, the following applies:

• If the initial application has not been placed into processing and the applicant wishes to withdraw the application, the processing fee can be refunded.
• If the initial application has been placed into processing, no refund is possible.
• If the applicant does not wish to withdraw the initial application, processing on both applications may continue, but only 1 permanent resident visa can be issued to an applicant.