Do agencies offering jobs on mushroom farms in Canada lie

One of the first steps one can take to obtain the coveted right to live and work permanently in Canada is a period of at least a year of hard work in the country. Of course, this does not negate a number of difficulties that will have to be faced later, but, nevertheless, this is the way that future immigrants often choose for themselves.

The journalists of the Immigrant.Today project managed to talk to a woman who went to Canada almost three years ago to work on a mushroom farm. She told us exactly how she got this opportunity, how much money she had to invest initially and, of course, what difficulties she had to face on her way to permanent residence.

Given our new acquaintance's urgent request, we are removing any references, names and other nuances that could lead to her de-anonymization from the interview. You will understand the reasons for such precautions when you read this exclusive interview to the end.

We should also warn you that all the photos in the material are illustrative and are taken from public sources.

Maximum demands, minimum chances.

— Hi, Elena. Tell us about how you got to work in Canada.

— In fact, I was very lucky. My old acquaintance and, one might say, friend had been working on a farm in Canada for more than a year at that time. When he found out about the new recruitment, the first thing he did was to offer me one of the vacancies. Since he himself was quite well regarded by the management, his recommendations were heeded and he got in touch with me.

In order for my candidacy to be considered, I needed to provide them with basic data about myself. Essentially, an extended CV.

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— How advanced?

— Well, look, to make a positive decision about a person, the recruiter in Canada needs to know what the candidate's level of English is, whether he or she has work experience abroad, whether there is a special education (in Elena's case, her agronomy school played an important role, — author's note). Naturally, it requires a written recommendation from the previous employer.

If all this is satisfactory to the company representative, he sends an internal questionnaire. It's 12 pages in ugly print. They are interested in everything — information about relatives, close relatives, all places of work, hobbies, hobbies and so on. There is nothing complicated, although it is a bit shocking.

And then?

— The next stage is the video interview. By the way, our firm provides an interpreter at this stage. But this is, firstly, the first and last time, and secondly, your chances are much greater if you turn it down.

If you can't be sure that your English level is sufficient, take the free test right now.

The interview itself took me about 2 hours. They found out everything from me, down to the nuances of intimate life. That is, of course, they didn't ask me what position I sleep in with my partner. This is against the law. But they were obliged to find out if I had a partner, how I planned my future relationship with him, and so on.

(It is worth noting that such questions during an interview are completely incorrect. They are asked taking advantage of the fact that job candidates do not know the law, and that people really want these jobs. In order to learn the requirements for employment in Canada, you should take a job search training course, ed.)

If, according to the employer, the interview went well, then you will be sent a contract that you will sign and a referral for a medical commission. I was offered to undergo it in Kiev or Lviv. Of course, medical examination is not free, neither are the documents translated into English and sent to Canada. Three years ago, these services cost about $500 CAD. Although, it should be said that the full amount spent is returned to your account immediately after arrival.

More often than not, after the thought has dawned in the mind that the level of salaries abroad is higher and "it's time to get out", a person starts looking for a job on the Internet. And, of course, the first thing he does is to visit the websites of recruiting agencies. And, of course, they work exclusively for money. Their services will cost you $200-500 USD.

Why such a serious physical?

— Canadian entrepreneurs are very jealous of their reputation and take care of their employees' health. And who needs an employee who in the very first days "gives out" an epileptic attack or suffers an injury due to an exacerbation of some disease and becomes disabled?

By the way, three months after the start of employment, a general health insurance and provincial medical policy is issued for each of the employees who passed the probationary period.

— On average, how many people go through all the stages of the interview and get to Canada?

— One out of 50 people. I was told this afterwards. Realistically, any minor flaw immediately blows all the chances out of the water.

Is everything as rosy as it initially seems?

The first advertisement for a job on a mushroom farm struck the authors as a pleasant prospect:

So we couldn't help but ask our interviewee if everything was as simple and perfect as it looked. Unfortunately, she had to disappoint me:

— Let's be honest. When people think picking mushrooms is easy, they are sorely mistaken. Even the initial conditions don't look ideal -— six days, 10 hours a day. And that's if there's no rush.

Our working day starts at 5 a.m. In the beginning it was half an hour earlier. By that time you have to be at your workplace and have time to change into working clothes. Each collector has a safety helmet, a thick apron, gloves and a mask. The last, however, is only needed as protection against spores in some areas. Long hair must be hidden under a special cap — if they find even one hair in the package, the scandal will be very serious.

Work can only be done in covered clothes and special boots. The company also issues the latter and you will have to wear them for a year. If they tear, you have to buy new ones at your own expense.

— In other words, occupational safety is at a fairly high level. And what does the work process look like?

— Imagine a tiered, about 4 meters high, metal structure. On each "floor" there are mushrooms. They have to be collected into a basket fixed on a movable trolley. Once the basket is filled, it is closed and weighed. A computer prints a sticker with your personal ID, which is glued to the basket. So you can always check how many kilos you have collected.

You are paid by the hour, as long as you meet the set norm. In one hour you have to pick at least 25 kilos of mushrooms. Then your wages will be approximately $11 CAD. Naturally, fines for any violations significantly reduce this amount.

We get paid twice a month. In concrete terms, if you steadily collect the prescribed number of mushrooms and have no violations, you can earn up to $2,000 CAD in a month. On January 15, 2021, this is a little over 44 thousand hryvnia, or 115 thousand Russian rubles.

Are there any prizes?

— Yes, if you consistently exceed your minimum quota. However, if you do it consistently and consistently, they can simply increase the minimum without adding any bonus.

— The problem is that after three hours of hard work you literally can't straighten your back. And on top of that you also have to keep an eye out for particularly cunning workers who, if you turn their back, will simply steal some of the mushrooms you've picked from your basket.

Even so? Who's doing it?

— We have people working for us from all over the world. Most of them come from Ukraine, Jamaica, Guatemala and Mexico. It is the Ukrainians and Jamaicans we have to fear the most.

— Well, okay, let's say you don't calculate your strength and you don't meet the standards. What to do?

— You'll just be out of contract in three months and sent back to your home country. No right to return. I have heard in passing that in certain fields there are such "blacklists", where if you are included, you can forget about seasonal work in Canada.

— What can a collector be fined for?

— Improper appearance, violation of work schedule, proven theft, consumption of alcohol even outside working hours, debauchery, regular cannabis smoking. Snitching is welcomed, although not paid. But by snitching on your colleagues you sort of demonstrate your loyalty to the company.

Trivia, if my employers find out that I did this interview, they'll be saying goodbye to me in the near future.

— But you're not telling me something terribly illegal!

— Corporate principles. We are warned about such things in advance.

Living conditions and domestic difficulties

Very often our compatriots coming from seasonal work complain about completely unbearable living conditions. Canadian employers, in spite of all their strictness, try to provide their employees with the most comfortable living conditions.

— The company owns about a dozen cottages where employees from other countries will live. Each cottage accommodates 6-10 people at a time. All newcomers are provided with new bedding, crockery, and the necessary minimum for cooking. For this, $200 CAD is deducted from their earnings.

It is worth understanding that the lodges are located within walking distance from the farm, but away from the amenities of civilization. Therefore, to get to the nearest market and supermarket you have to walk about 5 kilometers. Since there is no public transport here, one has to walk or spend money to buy a bicycle. Groceries, of course, you buy at your own expense.

— We're about to confuse readers. Let's be specific, after all the spending, how much do you have left in your "piggy bank"?

— Let's do the math. I make about $1,600 to 1,800 CAD at the most. 200 of that goes to housing. I spend about 600 more on groceries. So, it turns out that without any additional expenditures, I have about $1,000 CAD (this is 22 thousand hryvnias or almost 58 thousand Russian rubles — editor's note). But I never have so much money left, because the money is also spent on 'household stuff'. If the router is broken, it must be bought. If you want pancakes, you have to buy a spatula for the dough. And there are a lot of nuances like that.

And I don't take medicine into account. It is very expensive here and you have to pay for all non-insurance visits to the doctor separately. In my memory the most expensive were dentists and ophthalmologists. My partner had to pay about $600 CAD for one consultation about eye inflammation.

Prospects for a bright future

According to our acquaintance, she understood what she would have to go through. Her main goal was not to earn good money that could be spent at home, but to obtain the right to reside in Canada.

We remind you that according to existing laws, after working for at least one year, a person can submit a request for permanent residence. For more details about this path to citizenship read the article prepared especially for you.

How did you qualify to live in Canada?

— I haven't received it yet, I'm in the process. But the point doesn't change. After working for a year picking mushrooms and another year packing, I asked my mentor for help with my application. In Canada, there are many ways for immigrants who are willing to work here and pay taxes. One of them is to participate in the provincial employment program.

The point of these programs is that most young Canadians simply don't want to work in the outback for the money that they pay us. As one of my acquaintances told me: I'd rather get a small stipend than work under these conditions. And for many people from third-world countries, it's a godsend.

In two years, I managed to deposit about $12,000 CAD into my account. This is an important point, because if you don't have a financial cushion, even if you have a job, you won't get the right to residency.

My supervisor helped me gather all the necessary documents, provided confirmation of the contract extension, and gave me the necessary recommendations. Our company has a number of farms, but I decided to stay here. According to the number of required points I passed, the province provided me with the opportunity of preferential participation in the immigration program.

By the way, it is not difficult to choose the program according to your skills and with good qualification. To do this, simply choose the most suitable for you and move to Canada.

— The procedure itself is not. But again, it is beneficial to my employer that I continue to work for him, so his lawyer provides me with maximum assistance in this matter.

A lot of people get to stay?

— I'm the only one in the whole time. Many seasonal workers are simply thrown out of work for violations or non-compliance with norms. Plus most of my "colleagues" do not save money, but immediately spend it or send it back home.

— I mean... I miss you, of course. But I'm not even thinking about a reunion program yet. They are already retired, and it would be a big problem for me to support them all for the time being.

In fact, Canada is very much in need of really skilled workers. There are plenty of provincial benefits, decent wages and living conditions for them. So, if after reading this article, you are thinking about moving to Canada, do not hesitate to estimate your chances of immigration.