International Agricultural Worker Housing Inspections
Visit our COVID-19 Update page for the latest information from Durham Region Health Department.
International agricultural workers (IAWs) also known as migrant farm workers, are considered essential workers that come to Ontario to work in the seasonal agricultural sector. Housing accommodations for IAWs must be inspected by Durham Region Health Department prior to worker arrival.
Seasonal housing for international agricultural workers
Providing housing for the first time or in new accommodations:
Every owner/operator who intends to provide seasonal housing for migrant farm workers for the first time or in a new accommodation shall notify Durham Region Health Department in writing of their intent no later than six weeks prior to the arrival of migrant farm workers.
I have existing housing accommodations:
For existing housing accommodations, please contact Durham Region Health Department a minimum of four weeks prior to worker arrival to arrange an inspection of the seasonal housing accommodations at least 14 days prior to migrant farm workers arriving.
Please note that all IAW housing accommodations must comply with all local building, fire and zoning requirements. It is strongly recommended that those building new bunkhouses, renovating existing bunkhouses, and/or renovating other buildings (e.g. residential homes) for the purpose of accommodating international agricultural workers consult with their local building department and fire department well in advance to ensure permits can be obtained and requirements met before the final inspection for worker approval is conducted.
International agricultural worker employer resources
| Housing accommodation |
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| Employer COVID-19 vaccination policy guidance |
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Vaccination policy guidance Employers can review Durham Region Health Department recommendations on what to include in a workplace COVID-19 vaccine policy to establish their own vaccine policy. |
| Workplace |
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| Cleaning and disinfection logs |
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Cleaning and disinfecting log sheet for migrant worker accommodations |
| English COVID-19 posters |
| Spanish COVID-19 posters |
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For international agricultural workers
Durham Region Migrant Agricultural Worker Network
A group of volunteers, faith leaders, community residents, and service providers with a common interest in being good neighbours to agricultural workers in various agricultural communities in Durham Region. We host welcome events, health fairs, and social activities specifically for agricultural workers from participating Spanish-speaking and Caribbean countries throughout the year.
Visit the Durham Region Migrant Agricultural Worker Network website
| COVID-19 vaccine information |
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What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines Vaccine myths and facts Vaccine aftercare |
| Mental health and psychosocial supports |
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Stress relief, health care and community supports for Durham Region international agricultural workers Mental health and addiction treatment services For mental health supports during isolation, ConnexOntario provides telephone, text, chat, and email assistance available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Language supports are available in over 170 languages, including Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai, Polish, and Serbian. |
Report abuse or mistreatment
You can confidentially report being abused or mistreated using this Online Fraud Reporting Tool.
Report a COVID-19 violation
If your employer is:
- asking you to work during your initial 14-day quarantine period or any time during isolation
- not paying you during your initial quarantine period
- not providing cleaning supplies during quarantine/isolation periods
- not providing food during your quarantine/isolation period
- housing workers in quarantine with workers who are not in quarantine
- preventing workers from following the instructions of public health officials
You can report issues such as those listed above by calling:
- Durham Region Health Department at 1-888-841-2729 to speak to a public health inspector.
- Calling the Government of Canada Confidential Tip Line at 1-866-602-9448.
Report a housing concern or complaint
All international agricultural worker housing is inspected by Durham Region Health Department prior to worker arrival. If you have any questions or concerns about housing conditions, call us at 1-800-841-2729 or 905-668-2020 to speak to a public health inspector.
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