Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program – All you need to know in 2019

Atlantic Canada

The provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador constitute the Atlantic Canada.

What is Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program?

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot program is the most recent immigration program launched by the Atlantic Canada in agreement with the Canadian federal government. The program was successfully launched in 2017 by the Canadian federal government and its provincial government partners. The program aims to bring by 2021 more than 7,000 newcomers and their families to the Atlantic Canada.

It is an employer driven program that facilitates the recruitment and hiring of foreign labour to the Atlantic Canada. The latest program is strategized for Atlantic Growth to reverse the current demographic changes in the Atlantic Canada to improve the economy of Atlantic area substantially. The Atlantic growth is target at the—skilled workforce immigration; innovation; trade, investment and infrastructure.

Employer Driven Program

The latest program of Atlantic Immigration Pilot is majorly designed as an“employer-driven program”. The employers of the Atlantic Canada—businesses, not-for-profits, governments etc initially becomes a designated employer. Once designated the employer is able to offer jobs to skilled foreign employees or fresh international graduates in Canada. This will fill any gaps in the labour requirements of the Atlantic region.

How to get an employer designated?

Designation is primarily required for any employer who is interested in participating in the Atlantic Immigration program. Through this program only the “designated employers” will be able to hire employees suiting their labour needs.

Prior to offering a job to any candidate, the employer should satisfy the eligibility conditions set by the provincial government to get designated by the concerned provincial government of the Atlantic region. The hired candidate will only be able to work in this province.

By getting “designated” the employer will be authorized by the provincial government to offer jobs under the latest Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program in any of the four participating provinces namely the provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador.

However, if the employer has multiple work locations where the recruited will be working, then that employer shall get “designated’ in all those provinces.

To be designated, the employer must:

• be in good standing in the province;
• have been operating in the Atlantic Canada for at least 2 years
• partner with a settlement service provider organization to help candidates in settlement services

Modules of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program:

The Atlantic immigration Pilot program currently runs for the below three categories:

1. Atlantic High-Skilled stream—Skilled Worker
2. Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled stream—Skilled Worker
3. Atlantic International Graduate stream—Students

How does the Atlantic Immigration Program Work?

Each module of the Atlantic immigration Pilot program has its own educational and work experience criteria. Management, professional, technical or skilled works are the most important jobs that have been offered under these modules.

As far as the employers are concerned, they should also demonstrate to the provincial government that each of the job offered will cannot be filled with a local resident. Once successfully endorsed by an Atlantic province the desired candidate can apply for permanent residency and on approval of the permanent residency the candidate can start living and working in Canada.

Prior to the submission of permanent residency application the selected candidates are also eligible for a bridging temporary work permit. The aim of this bridging work permit is to allow the candidate to work during the processing of their permanent resident application. The time limit for applying for their permanent residency is within 90 days of submitting the temporary work permit application.

No Labour Market Impact Assessment is required under this program.

The minimum eligibility criteria for a Candidate under the Atlantic Immigration Program

The two skilled worker program namely the Atlantic High-Skilled stream and Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled stream has almost the same eligibility requirements.

• Language proficiency in English or French: Level 4 of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) in English or the Niveau de compétence linguistique Canadien in French;
• Job offer from a designated employer;
• Full time, Indeterminate job offer  for Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled stream
• Full time, One-year contract for Atlantic High-Skilled stream
• Job offered must be under NOC 0, A, B or C for Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled stream
• Job offered must be under NOC 0, A, B for Atlantic High-Skilled stream
• One year experience in the job offered position;
• Completion of at least high schooling in foreign country or Canada
• Educational Credential Assessment of highest level of education or Canadian education credential is required;
• Letter of endorsement from the Atlantic province is mandatory.

Atlantic International Graduate stream also has the eligibility requirements that shall be met by the desired candidates of the program. This program mainly targets the students in Canada.

• Language proficiency in English or French: Level 4 of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) in English or the Niveau de compétence linguistique Canadien in French;
• Job offer from a designated employer;
• Full time, One-year contract for Atlantic High-Skilled stream
• Job offered must be under NOC 0, A, B or C
• Two-year post-secondary diploma from a designated public learning institute  in the Atlantic region,
• The diploma shall be obtained within the 12 months prior to the submission of the permanent residence application;
• Letter of endorsement from the Atlantic province is mandatory.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot’s processing times are faster and language and education standards are lower than other immigration programs implemented by Canada.

Dependent Spouses can also work with non-specific employer work permits after the approval of the family’s permanent residency.

Canada has extended the Atlantic Immigration Pilot until December 2021. As per the recent immigration statistics of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada around 1,896 employers in the Atlantic Canada region has given 3,729 job offers to the desired candidates through the Atlantic Immigration Program since its inception in 2017. In regard to this around 2,535 applicants and their families have been approved for permanent residence in the Atlantic Canada.

Contact Pelican Migration Consultants on all your queries on the Atlantic Immigration Program. Our expert program consultant will walk you through the each and every step involved in the process or you can check your eligibility by clicking the below link and filling out the form.