Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is a program operated by the federal government of Canada, as well as the governments of four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island
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Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The pilot focuses on helping Canadian employers in the Atlantic region find employees to fill job vacancies when no suitable candidates can be found locally. To qualify for the program, both the employer and the potential employee must meet certain requirements. After successfully applying and securing the job, the candidate will receive permanent residence status in Canada.
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is not needed for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program.
In order to apply for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the employer must follow these steps:
- Contact the local provincial immigration office to express an interest in using the program to fill a full-time job vacancy
- Contact a participating settlement service provider
- Commit to preparing the workplace for the potential employee
- Apply to the province to become a designated employer
- Obtain designation from the province
The employee endorsement process:
- The employer or recruiter must contact a participating settlement service provider
- The candidate must contact a settlement service provider for a “needs assessment”, which will give them a settlement plan for the potential employee and their family
- The settlement service provider gives the potential candidate a detailed settlement plan based on their assessment
- The candidate submits the settlement plan to the employer
- The employer completes the provincial endorsement application within a specific program (considering the candidate’s work or training experience), along with the settlement plan and job offer, and forwards it to the provincial office for approval
- The province reviews and approves the endorsement application
- The candidate receives an endorsement letter from the province
In some cases when the job vacancy must be filled urgently, candidates may be eligible for a temporary work permit. This still requires a valid job offer, a referral letter from the province, as well as a commitment to apply for permanent residence.
Steps For Immigration Application Within The Atlantic Immigration Pilot:
- The candidate completes their permanent residence application and sends it to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The application must be supported by the endorsement letter and other required documents
- On average the application is processed by IRCC within 6 months or less
- The candidate (and their family) finally move to the province, where the application process took place
- The employer, together with the settlement service provider, supports the candidate’s settlement plan
There are also more specialized programs within the Atlantic Immigration Pilot for certain skilled individuals. These are:
Immigration programs available within the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP)
- Atlantic Intermediate Skilled Program (AISP)
- Atlantic High Skilled Program (AHSP)
- Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP) The benefits of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot are:
- Guaranteed employment
- Easier approval process
- Clear settlement plan for the potential employee and their family
