Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)

SAWP lets Canadian farms hire workers from Mexico and 11 Caribbean countries for up to 8 months a year, between 1 January and 15 December.

Also called: SAWP, seasonal farm worker program, Mexican and Caribbean seasonal workers

What seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) means

The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is a stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for on-farm primary agriculture. It is based on agreements between Canada and the workers' home countries, and it uses a standard employment contract that the employer cannot change.

Workers must be citizens of Mexico or one of 11 participating Caribbean countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Employers can hire SAWP workers for up to 8 months, and the work must fall between 1 January and 15 December. The work must be in primary agriculture on the farm, in the commodity sectors the program lists. Many returning workers come back to the same farm year after year.

How it works

You apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) under the SAWP stream. Primary agriculture is exempt from the rule that stops low-wage applications in high-unemployment cities, but you still need to show the job and the housing meet the program's requirements. Once approved, the workers apply for work permits through their home country's program.

Pay must be at least the highest of: the provincial minimum wage, the prevailing wage for the work, or the rate you pay Canadian workers doing the same job. Workers are paid weekly. If the provincial minimum wage goes up during the contract, you must raise the worker's wage right away.

You arrange and pay for round-trip travel between the worker's home country and Canada, and daily transport between housing and the work site. In every province except British Columbia, part of the travel cost can be recovered through payroll deductions as the contract allows. Keep records of all transportation costs you paid for at least 6 years.

You must provide housing that is adequate, suitable and affordable and that respects occupancy limits. For the LMIA, you generally need a housing inspection report from an inspection done within the 8 months before you apply. In British Columbia, the inspection uses the BC Agriculture Council form and an authorized inspector. You cannot pass inspection costs on to workers.

The Mexico and Caribbean contracts differ in some details, and amounts such as allowances change each year. Read the current year's contract for your workers' country, sign it with each worker, and keep a copy on file in case of an inspection.

Is it the same in every province?

SAWP is a federal program with the same contract terms across Canada, but the worker's minimum wage, hours and safety rules come from the province where the farm is. British Columbia differs on two points: no payroll deductions to recover travel costs, and its own housing inspection form.

Example: A berry farm budgets for the season

Joseph runs a 12-person berry farm in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, and plans to hire 4 SAWP workers from Jamaica from May to October, which is within the 8-month limit and the 1 January to 15 December window.

He books a housing inspection in February so the report is less than 8 months old when he applies. He budgets for round-trip flights and daily transport, sets the wage at the highest of the Nova Scotia minimum wage, the prevailing wage and what he pays his Canadian pickers. He also notes to check the Nova Scotia minimum wage before the season starts and during it, because any increase during the contract must be paid right away.

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Staffkin's onboarding checklists can hold your arrival tasks for each season, such as signed contracts, housing orientation and safety training.

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Questions about seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)

Which countries take part in SAWP?

Mexico and 11 Caribbean countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

How long can a SAWP worker stay?

Up to 8 months, with the work falling between 1 January and 15 December.

Do I have to provide housing for SAWP workers?

Yes. Housing must be adequate, suitable and affordable, and you generally need a housing inspection report from within the 8 months before you apply.

Can I change the SAWP contract?

No. The contract is standard and cannot be modified. Both you and the worker sign it, and you keep a copy on file.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 4 November 2026.