Guidance for varieties that have been approved in foreign jurisdictions

The CFIA is introducing a new triage pathway for applications for variety registration. This new method of triaging incorporates information on approvals in specified foreign jurisdictions as part of the application review process.

Form modification

To this end, we have modified our application form.

On our application form you will note that we now ask if this variety has been approved in any foreign jurisdictions.

If it has, please select 'yes'.

Selecting yes will require you to provide:

  • the country it was approved in
  • the variety synonym (if known by another name in the other country)
  • a registration number
  • a document with proof of the foreign approval

This set of information will allow us to determine whether the variety went through a similar process of approval in another jurisdiction and could move into a different triage pathway.

What is a registration number

A number (or alpha numeric sequence) that was provided by the foreign jurisdiction either during the approval process or when the approval was granted. This should be a reference number that is publicly available and refers to this specific variety in that jurisdiction (not a breeder/organization number).

Canadian examples:

  • Canadian Registration number 10415 refers to the alfalfa variety Majestic
  • Canadian Registration number 10365 refers to the white clover variety Euromic

Foreign examples:

  • Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) Variety Review Board (VRB) document number AL2520 refers to the alfalfa variety Majestic 425 (same variety as Registration number 10415)
  • German Federal Plant Variety Office Identification number WKL 106 refers to the white clover variety Euromic (same variety as Reg# 10365)

What is an appropriate reference document

An appropriate reference document is a document or image that shows:

  • the variety name
  • registration number
  • date of approval from the foreign jurisdiction

This should be an official certificate/document from the foreign jurisdiction or reference from the official listing of that foreign jurisdiction.

Canadian examples:

  • a screenshot of the CFIA's online Registered Variety Listing showing registration number 10415 referring to the alfalfa variety Majestic
  • A copy of the notification sent by CFIA's Premarket Application Submissions Office showing that the white clover variety Euromic was registered on November 29, 2024, with the registration number 10365

Foreign examples:

  • the following is an image of the online AOSCA Alfalfa index showing Document# AL2520 referring to the alfalfa variety Majestic 425
Sample of Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies
Accessibility description

Image of an Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) web page showing the "Alfalfa Index | Varieties recommended since 1993." A blue header contains:

  • the AOSCA Certified Seed logo
  • navigation links
    • news
    • calendar and
    • contact us
  • a search bar
  • "Member Login" button

Additional menu items following such as:

  • who we are
  • Variety Review Board
  • programs and services
  • Seed Certifying Agencies
  • member area

Following the menu items, there is informational text explaining that the Alfalfa Variety Review Board evaluates and recommends varieties for certification based on submitted data.

The main section displays the title "Alfalfa Index | Varieties recommended since 1993," updated March 21, 2026, with buttons to download PDF or CSV files and an alphabetical filter A–Z. A search field shows "Majestic 425" and a control indicates "100 entries per page."

A data table contains the following column headers:

  • Applicant
  • Document number
  • Variety name
  • Experimental designation
  • Crop
  • Variety description
  • Date
  • Date amended
  • Reason amended

The display shows one filtered result:

Applicant: "Legacy Seeds, LLC"

Document: "AL2520"

Variety name: "MAJESTIC 425"

Experimental designation: "LS 2110, LS 10HX"

Crop: "Alfalfa"

Variety description: "Link"

Date: "2025"

Date amended: "2025"

Reason amended: "Changed variety name from Majestic"

Footer text states "Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entry (filtered from 3,489 total entries)" with pagination showing page 1.

  • An image of the online German Federal Plant Variety Office's database showing Identification# WKL 106 referring to the white clover variety Euromic
Sample of Federal Plant Variety Office
Accessibility description

An image of a web page from the Federal Plant Variety Office displaying a "variety information" search and results interface. At the top left is a federal eagle emblem with the text "Federal Plant Variety Office." A green horizontal banner follows containing the page title "variety information."

After the title there is a search panel with multiple fields. A "select species" field shows "selected species: Trifolium repens L./Weißklee." Additional filters include a dropdown labeled:

  • "select procedure" set to "all procedures"
  • text input fields labeled "variety denomination" containing "Euromic"
  • "breeder's ID-code"
  • "breeder's name"

To the right are buttons labeled "reset" and "search"

Under the filters are tab-like options including:

  • "variety summary"
  • "Plant Breeders' Rights/National List" (which is selected)
  • "explanations"

A secondary control row includes a search field, a "show 10 entries" dropdown and buttons labeled:

  • "copy"
  • "PDF,"
  • "CSV"
  • "column visibility"

A results table with a green header row displays column titles such as:

  • "species code"
  • "variety number"
  • "variety denomination"
  • "breeder's reference"
  • "PBR applied for"
  • "PBR granted"
  • "PBR expired"
  • "NLI applied for"
  • "registered on NLI"
  • "removal from NLI"
  • "status information"
  • "applicant"
  • "representative"
  • "requirements for labelling"

One result row is shown:

  • species code "WKL"
  • variety number "106"
  • variety denomination "Euromic"
  • breeder's reference "ETRR 10016"
  • NLI applied for "24.11.2011"
  • registered on NLI "17.02.2016"

Status information indicated with an icon and the letter "Z" and applicant "39."

Footer text reads "Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries," with pagination controls labeled "Previous," "1," and "Next."

These examples are provided for illustrative purposes. Other forms of evidence of variety registration in foreign jurisdictions may also be accepted, such as:

  • VRB certificates
  • official registry extracts
  • Plant Breeder's Rights documentation
  • equivalent official records
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