Services

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program is a new feature in the Canadian immigration landscape.
Through this program, the federal government — together with the governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island — aim to welcome nearly 7,000 newcomers and their families to the Atlantic region of Eastern Canada in the next three years. Much of this region is sometimes referred to as ‘the Maritimes’.

There are four Atlantic Provinces in Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Atlantic region has a shrinking labour force and is faced with an aging population, so increasing the number of skilled workers that immigrate and settle in these provinces is a top priority. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a new Canadian immigration program designed to meet those labour market needs and ensure long-term economic growth in Atlantic Canada.
Unlike most other Canadian immigration programs, employers play a role in ensuring the successful settlement and integration of newcomers under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program. Every principal applicant under this program will have a job offer and an individualized settlement plan for themself and their family when they arrive in Canada.

PROGRAM DETAILS
There are three programs included in the Pilot, two for skilled workers:

Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program (AISP)
Atlantic High-skilled Program (AHSP)
Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP)

Once a designated employer finds a candidate who meets their employment needs and who’s eligible under one of the pilot programs, they first need to offer them a job. Because of the pressing labour market needs of the Atlantic region, employers will not need to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for jobs they offer under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program.

If the candidate accepts the employer’s job offer, the employer will then connect the candidate with a designated settlement service provider organization. That organization will perform a needs assessment on the candidate and their family, and develop a personalized settlement plan for them in the province.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin accepting applications for permanent residence from candidates under this program in March 2017. A total of 2,000 applications will be accepted in 2017.