Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program - A Step by Step Guide to Apply

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program

As part of the Atlantic Growth Strategy, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) is designed to fill labour shortages in the Canadian Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The pilot program forms part of an overall Atlantic Growth Strategy that focuses on the following priority areas:

• Skilled workforce and immigration
• Innovation
• Clean growth and climate change
• Trade and investment

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has two programs for skilled workers:

• Atlantic High-Skilled Program
• Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

And one program for international student graduates:

• Atlantic International Graduate Program

Your eligibility to the program in specific areas of work experience, education, and job offer depends on your particular situation when applying such as a skilled worker or an international graduate.

AIPP – A Step by Step Guide

Employer designation

• An eligible employer in Atlantic Canada interested in utilizing the AIPP to fill a full-time job should submit an Expression of Interest to the Provincial Immigration Office.
• An eligible employer connects with a participating settlement service provider organization and commits to preparing his/her workplace to welcome newcomers.
• An eligible employer applies to the province to become a designated employer.
• The Atlantic Provincesapproves employer designation. Employer finds a candidate who meets the program criteria based on their initial assessment and provides them with a Job Offer.

Endorsement

• Employer connects their candidate with a participating settlement service provider organization. Candidate contacts a settlement service provider organization of their choice for a needs assessment service that will result in a settlement plan for themselves and their family.
• Settlement service provider organization provides the candidate with a settlement plan after the needs assessment then he/she sends a copy of the settlement plan to the employer.
• The employer then completes the provincial endorsement application, identify the appropriate program based on the candidate’s work experience, including the job offer and settlement plan, and submits them to the province.

In cases where it is urgent to fill the position, candidates may be eligible for a temporary work permit. Certain conditions apply, such as having a valid job offer, a referral letter from the province and a commitment to apply for permanent residence. The province reviews and approves the endorsement application and then sends an endorsement letter to the candidate.

Immigration application

• Candidate completes their permanent residence application and sends it to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) including their endorsement letter and any other required documents.
• IRCC processes the application – applications usually processed in six months or less.
• Approved candidate’s application and his/her family come to Atlantic Canada, if applicable.
• Employer supports a candidate and their family’s settlement and integration in their workplace and community in partnership with the settlement service provider.

Who can apply? – AIPP

Individuals meeting the following criteria are eligible to apply:
Workers Category
Work experience

The applicant must have worked in one occupation even with different employers for at least one year (1,560 hours total or 30 hours per week) within the last three years, either full-time, non-continuous, or part-time.  Unpaid work experience does not qualify for this category.

Workers apply as either high-skilled workers or intermediate-skilled workers.

High-skilled workers must have work experience at National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill type level 0, A, or B.

Intermediate-skilled workers must have work experience at NOC skill level C, obtained from either inside or outside of Canada.

Education

The applicant must have:

• A Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree,

OR

• A foreign degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship education credential. An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report is required to ensure it is valid and equal to a Canadian credential.

International Graduates Category
For international graduate applicants, a minimum of two- year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential obtained from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province, and have:

• been a full-time student in Canada for at least two years
• graduated in the last 12 months when they apply
• lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last two years before graduation
• legal status in Canada at the time of application

Some limitations to the program eligibility are:

• Does not include English or French second language courses for more than half of the program, or distance learning is undertaken for more than half the length of the program.
• The applicant can’t apply if he/she had a scholarship or fellowship requiring them to return to their home country after they graduate.

Job offer

Requirements of Job Offer are:

It must come from a designated employer in an Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island)

• Full-time work (at least 30 paid hours per week)
• Non-seasonal

The criteria for the NOC and duration of the job offer depends on the category of the application.

Job offers for high-skilled workers must:

• Be skill type level 0, A, or B
• Last at least one year from the date permanent residence is granted

Job offers for intermediate-skilled workers must be:

• skill type level 0, A, B, or C
• permanent position

Job offers for international graduates must:

• Be skill type level 0, A, B, or C
• Last at least one year from the date permanent residence is granted

The job offer does not have to be in the same occupation as applicants previous work experience. However, they need to meet the employment requirements for the job they are offered.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment is not required from the employer.

Language

For language requirements, the applicant must

• Have at least a level four (4) in the Canadian Language Benchmarks in English or the Niveaux de compétenceLinguistiqueCanadiens in French
• Take an approved language test, which is no more than two years, showing that the applicant meets the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing

Proof of funds

The applicants will need to show that they have enough money to support themselves and their family after they immigrate, depending on their family unit number. The applicants do not need to show proof if they are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.

Other ways to immigrate to Atlantic Canada

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is another pathway to immigration in the Atlantic Provinces which is aligned with the Federal Skilled Worker Program through the Express Entry portal.

Currently, the Atlantic PNP options include:

• Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
• New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
• Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)
• Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)

Interested in applying to Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program? Contact us  today!