Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a fast-track employer driven immigration program that allows employers in Canada’s four Atlantic provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island — to hire skilled foreign nationals and international graduates for jobs they have not been able to fill locally. For candidates to qualify under this immigration program, their employer should be on the designated employers list.
AIPP was launched originally as a pilot program. Taking AIP’s success into consideration, the government has committed to making this pilot a permanent program.
Background
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 the 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:
How does It work?
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 needs and the program criteria, that employer will need to first offer them 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 need:
- a valid job offer.
- a letter from the province; and
- a commitment to apply for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary work permit application.