Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program

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 2020 through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot 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:

• skilled workforce and immigration;
• innovation;
• clean growth and climate change;
• trade and investment; and
• infrastructure.

On November 1, 2017, the Government of Canada announced a multi-year immigration targets plan for 2018-2020 with specific allocations for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program: How it works

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 families.

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.

Employer designation

Employers that would like to hire skilled immigrants under the pilot program must apply to the province(s) in order to receive the designation. Employers with locations in multiple provinces will require a separate designation for each province. Employers must meet certain requirements, including a commitment to support the newcomer and his or her family as they integrate into their new life in Atlantic Canada.