Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
Canada Citizenship Immigration Services - accomplished immigration service
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a fast-track immigration program that allows employers in Canada’s four Atlantic provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island — to hire foreign nationals for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally.
Introduced in 2017, the federal government and its provincial government partners aim to welcome more than 7,000 newcomers and their families to the Atlantic Canada region by 2021 through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is designed to welcome additional newcomers to the Atlantic Canada region to fill the needs of local employers and communities.
The three-year pilot program allows designated local employers to identify, recruit and retain global talent. The program also has stated goals of supporting population growth, developing a skilled workforce, and increasing employment rates in the region.
The pilot program forms part of an overall Atlantic Growth Strategy that is focused on the following five priority areas:
- Skilled workforce and immigration.
- Innovation.
- Clean growth and climate change.
- Trade and investment.
- Infrastructure.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is an employer-driven program that facilitates the hiring of foreign workers. All principal applicants arriving in Canada under the pilot program must have a job offer from a designated employer and an individualized settlement plan for themselves and their family.
Once a designated employer finds a candidate who meets their employment demands and the program’s criteria. The employer will need to offer the candidate a job. Employers do not need to go through the process of obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) under this program.
Once the candidate has accepted the job, the employer will connect the candidate with a designated settlement service provider organization for a needs assessment and to develop a settlement plan. Employers will also support the long-term integration of the new immigrant and his or her family, if applicable, so they can reach the goals of their settlement plan once they arrive in Canada.
Employers that need to fill a job vacancy quickly will have access to a temporary work permit, so that the candidate and his or her family can come to Canada as soon as possible. In order to obtain this work permit, candidates will require:
- A valid job offer.
- A letter from the province.
- A commitment to apply for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary work permit application.
The candidate’s required work experience, education, and job offer, will depend on whether the individual is applying as a worker or as an international student graduate. The other requirements are the same for both streams.
The available streams are:
Atlantic High-Skilled Program
Requirements
Work experience:
- A minimum of 1,560 work hours in the 3 years prior to the application. This is akin to a full-time job.
- Aforementioned work experience must be in NOC skill type/level 0, A, or B.
- Aforementioned work experience must all be in a single occupation, but does not have to be with the same employer.
- Aforementioned work experience must have been paid – volunteer experience does not count towards your total experience.
- Self-employed experience does not count towards your total.
Education:
- A Canadian secondary (high school), or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, or
- A foreign degree, diploma or certificate, equal to a Canadian credential.
- Prove sufficient language proficiency in French or English to communicate with your environment.
- Language exam must be taken no more than 2 years prior to your application.
Finances:
- Prove sufficient funds to support yourself and family members who are joining you. People who are already residing and working in Canada at the time of the application do not require a proof of funds.
- Have a verified job offer which meets all the requirements below.
Job offer requirements
- The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] form.
- The employer is designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province where you will be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
- The job must be full-time, providing a minimum of 30 paid hours per week.
- The job must be non-seasonal. You need to have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
- The job is skill type/level 0, A or B under the NOC.
- The employer is offering you a contract with a minimum duration of 1 year.
Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
Requirements
Work experience:
- A minimum of 1,560 work hours in the 3 years prior to the application. This is akin to a full-time job.
- Aforementioned work experience must all be in a single occupation, but does not have to be with the same employer.
- Aforementioned work experience must have been paid – volunteer experience does not count towards your total experience.
- Self-employed experience does not count towards your total.
There are 2 ways you can use your work experience to qualify:
- Your work experience is NOC skill level C – usually requires secondary education or occupation-specific training. Or
- Your work experience is:
* As a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC skill level A 3012), or
* as a licensed practical nurse (NOC skill level B 3233)
and- You have one of the following job offers:
- Nurse’s aide, orderly or patient services associate (NOC skill level C 3413), or
- Home support worker (NOC skill level C 4412).
- You have one of the following job offers:
Education:
- A Canadian secondary (high school), or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, or
- A foreign degree, diploma or certificate, equal to a Canadian credential.
- Prove sufficient language proficiency in French or English to communicate with your environment.
- Language exam must be taken no more than 2 years prior to your application.
Finances:
- Prove sufficient funds to support yourself and family members who are joining you. People who are already residing and working in Canada at the time of the application do not require a proof of funds.
- Have a verified job offer which you are fully qualified for and which meets all the requirements below.
Job offer requirements
- The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] form.
- The employer is designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province where you will be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
- The job must be full-time, providing a minimum of 30 paid hours per week.
- The job must be non-seasonal. You need to have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
- The job is skill type/level 0, A, B, or C under the NOC.
- The employer is offering you a contract with no end date.
Atlantic International Graduate Program
Requirements
Education:
- You must have a minimum of a 2-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province (see list of recognized publicly-funded institutions below).
- The entire duration of your studies must have been on a full-time base.
- You graduated from this institution in the 2 years prior to your permanent resident application.
- You lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for a minimum of 16 months in the 2 years before getting your degree, diploma or educational credential.
- You had the appropriate visa or permit for your stay in Canada.
Your study or training program is not eligible if it is either:
- English or French second-language courses for more than half of the program.
- Distance learning undertaken for more than half the length of the program.
If you had a scholarship or fellowship obliging you to return to your home country after you graduate, you may not apply.
Education outside Canada
Only your education in Canada counts towards your application. However, if you have education credentials from outside Canada you want to include, you will need have your education outside Canada assessed.
Language:
Even for candidates who were educated in Canada, it is mandatory to take one of the approved language tests in order to prove you are capable of communicating in French or English well enough to reside and work in Canada.
The test must be taken within no more than 2 years prior to your application.
Finances:
- Prove sufficient funds to support yourself and family members who are joining you. People who are already residing and working in Canada at the time of the application do not require a proof of funds.
Job offer requirements
- The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] form.
- The employer is designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province where you will be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
- The job must be full-time, providing a minimum of 30 paid hours per week.
- The job must be non-seasonal. You need to have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
- The job is skill type/level 0, A, B, or C under the NOC.
- The employer is offering you a contract with a minimum duration of 1 year.
- The offered job must be one you are fully qualified to do.
Publicly-funded institutions
New brunswick:
- Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick
- Maritime College of Forest Technology
- Mount Allison University
- New Brunswick College of Craft and Design
- New Brunswick Community College
- Saint Thomas University
- Université de Moncton
- University of New Brunswick & University of New Brunswick Saint Jean
Newfoundland:
- College of the North Atlantic
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
Nova Scotia:
- Acadia University
- Atlantic School of Theology
- Cape Breton University
- Dalhousie University
- Mount Saint Vincent University
- Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
- Nova Scotia Community College
- Saint Francis Xavier University
- Saint Mary’s University
- Université Sainte-Anne
- University of Kings College
- Collège de l’Île
- Holland College
- University of Prince Edward Island
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