International Agricultural Workers

Farm Owners and Operators

Seasonal Housing Inspections

Owners and operators of farms who employ international agricultural workers (IAWs) must support and protect IAWs currently employed and living in housing provided by the farm owner/operator, as well as new IAWs who may arrive for work.

Each year, Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) inspects seasonal housing for both domestic and foreign migrant workers. Our public health inspectors ensure that the owners of these homes follow the requirements set out by the housing guidelines for seasonal farm workers.

Our public health inspectors also work closely with seasonal work employment agencies such as Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) to ensure that these accommodations meet compliance prior to the workers' arrivals. Worker safety is the overall goal.

Please note: As of July 1, 2022 the Class Order Section 22: Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) was rescinded. See Section 22 Orders and Instructions for more information. You must continue to follow any provincial and federal COVID-19 guidance related to international agricultural workers (formerly known as temporary foreign workers).

Prevention and Control of Outbreaks

The Ministry of Health's Outbreak Guidance: Workplace and Living Settings for Seasonal International Agriculture Workers (IAWs) outlines best practices for local public health units (PHUs) and agri-food employers. The goal is to minimize COVID-19 transmission among individuals working or residing on farms and to help prevent, detect, and manage individual cases within these settings.

For more information about prevention and control of outbreaks, please see Management of Cases and Contact of COVID-19 in Ontario from the Ministry of Health.

COVID-19 Resources for Farmers

Forms
  • International Agricultural Workers Inspection Form
    • This form must be submitted to Huron Perth Public Health to notify the health unit of new international agricultural worker arrivals and to request COVID-19 isolation and/or inspections of foreign worker farm housing.
  • Worker Arrival Form [PDF]
    • Submit this form to Huron Perth Public Health within 24 hours of workers arriving to your farm (for both new arrivals and transfers).
  • COVID-19 Seasonal Worker Wellness Check [PDF]
    • Daily wellness checks must be conducted by a representative of the farm business for all workers who are in self-isolation.
  • Daily Cleaning Log [PDF]
  • Outbreak Line Listing
    • Please use the Outbreak Line Listing document during an outbreak of COVID-19 or when directed by the health unit.
Resources

Agencies:

Posters:

Vaccine Consent Forms

Ministry of Health COVID-19 vaccine consent forms, in specific languages:

For COVID-19 vaccine-relevant information and planning resources in additional languages, visit the Ministry of Health's webpage:

 9-1-1 Fact Sheets for IAWs

Alternate language versions of the following fact sheets [PDFs] are available.

Calling 9-1-1 when you need emergency health care:

What to expect when calling 9-1-1 for a health emergency fact sheets [PDFs] are available in the following languages:

Additional Information

For more information on COVID-19 visit our COVID-19 Disease and Infection page.

For resources to support farm employers and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including information on vaccines, testing, and income supports, see COVID-19 resources for farm employers and workers from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association.

For multilingual COVID-19 educational resources see: