Moving to Canada from Guatemala: Farm Work, Visas and PR Routes

Guatemalans most often come to Canada to work, and some later find a path to permanent residence.

Guatemala is not an International Experience Canada (IEC) partner.

Guatemala is on IRCC's list of visa-required countries (entry requirements page updated July 31, 2026). You need a visitor visa, officially a temporary resident visa (TRV), to travel to Canada, and you can't use an eTA instead. The visa costs CAD $100 plus CAD $85 for biometrics, as of September 2026.

If IRCC approves a study permit or work permit for you, it issues the visa at the same time, so you don't file a separate visa application.

Where to give biometrics. Most applicants aged 14 to 79 give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application center (VAC). IRCC lists VACs in Guatemala in Guatemala City. If you live in another country, you can use any VAC. See our biometrics guide.

If IRCC approves a work permit for a farm job, it issues your visa at the same time.

Processing times depend on the country you apply from and change every week. Check the processing times tool before you plan a move date.

Farm and food jobs. Canadian farms can hire Central American workers through the agricultural and other streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The employer needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and you get an employer-specific work permit tied to that farm. The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program is a separate program open only to Mexico and some Caribbean countries.

• Employers and recruiters can't charge you recruitment fees under Canadian rules. Never pay for a job offer (scam protection).
• If your employer abuses you or breaks the rules, you may qualify for a vulnerable worker open work permit that lets you change employers.
• Farm work doesn't lead to permanent residence by itself. The Agri-Food Pilot ended on May 14, 2025, but some workers qualify later through provincial streams, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, or the Atlantic Immigration Program with a year-round job offer.

Low-wage LMIAs are refused in 26 of 41 metro areas for July 10 to October 8, 2026, but primary agriculture jobs follow separate rules (details).

Guatemalan graduates with skilled work experience and strong English or French scores can use Express Entry. Many also take a French test, because Spanish speakers often learn French quickly.

Express Entry covers three programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. From abroad, most people use FSW: at least 1 year of continuous skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) in the last 10 years, CLB 7 in English or French, an educational credential assessment for foreign degrees, 67 points on the FSW grid, and settlement funds (CAD $15,263 for one person in IRCC's current proof of funds table). Candidates are ranked by the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and job offers stopped adding CRS points on March 25, 2025. Check your score with the CRS calculator.

2026 categories and how they fit:

Between July and mid-September 2026, French draws invited 5,000 candidates each with cutoffs of 382 to 420, a health care draw cut off at 475, and CEC draws at 516 to 523. There were no STEM, education, or trades draws in that period. See 2026 Express Entry categories and the draw tracker.

Guatemalan students need a study permit for programs longer than 6 months. Show tuition and living funds from clear sources.

Study permits in 2026. Canada caps new study permit applications: in 2026 IRCC accepts about 309,670 applications that need a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). Most college and bachelor's students need one; master's and doctoral students at public institutions don't. You must show tuition plus living funds (CAD $23,448 for one person outside Quebec, for applications from September 1, 2026). See the study permit page and the 2026 cap.

After graduating, a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) needs CLB 7 for university graduates or CLB 5 for college graduates, and non-degree programs must be in an eligible field. Canadian study and work can add CRS points and lead to the Canadian Experience Class.

Working holiday: Guatemala is not an International Experience Canada (IEC) partner country, so Guatemalan citizens can't get an IEC working holiday permit.

If your spouse or partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor you through spousal sponsorship, which is open in 2026 and usually has no minimum income rule. Parents can also sponsor dependent children. The Parents and Grandparents Program stopped taking new interest to sponsor forms on July 15, 2026, but the Super Visa still lets parents and grandparents visit for long periods.

If you live in the United States. Since March 25, 2023, the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement applies along the whole land border, including between official crossings. Most people who cross from the US can't make a refugee claim in Canada, with limited exceptions (for example, some people with close family in Canada). Talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) before acting. See asylum in Canada.

Language tests. IRCC accepts five tests for permanent residence: IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. IELTS Academic and PTE Academic don't count for Express Entry. Results are valid for 2 years. In Guatemala, check IELTS General Training and PTE Core availability with each provider; CELPIP-General is offered in only a few countries outside Canada. TEF Canada and TCF Canada are offered at approved French-language centers. Convert your scores with the CLB converter and read the language tests guide.

Credential assessment. If you studied outside Canada, you need an educational credential assessment (ECA) from an IRCC-designated organization, such as World Education Services (WES), for FSW eligibility and CRS points. Doctors use the Medical Council of Canada and pharmacists use the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada. An ECA is valid for 5 years.

Police certificate. IRCC asks for a police certificate from each country where you spent 6 months or more in a row since age 18, usually after you apply for permanent residence. Guatemala needs two documents: a Constancia de antecedentes policiales from the Policía Nacional Civil and a Carencia de antecedentes penales from the Organismo Judicial. In Guatemala, apply online or in person; the online portals work only from inside Guatemala. From abroad, you can authorize a lawyer to apply with your original ID documents, or contact the issuing offices directly. Full details: IRCC's police certificate instructions for Guatemala. See our police certificates guide.

You will also need an immigration medical exam with an IRCC panel physician when IRCC asks for it.

Guatemalan Canadians live mainly in Montreal in Quebec, the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, and Metro Vancouver in British Columbia. Many temporary farm workers spend the season in rural areas of Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. Spanish-language churches, worker support groups, and settlement agencies offer help.