/Atlantic Immigration Program/
Introduction:
The Atlantic Immigration Program is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates who want to work and live in 1 of Canada’s 4 Atlantic provinces.
This is an employer-driven program designed to help employers in Atlantic Canada hire qualified candidates for jobs they have been unable to fill locally. The applicant must receive a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada to participate in the program.
To immigrate to Atlantic Canada through this program, the applicant must be either:
- a recent graduate of a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada, or
- a skilled worker
The applicant can be living abroad or already be in Canada as a temporary resident.
Applicant requirements:
Work experience
In the last 5 years, the applicant must have worked at least 1,560 hours
This work should be at one of these National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 categories
International graduates can be exempt from the work experience requirements if the applicant is an international graduate who
- has a degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship certification that took at least 2 years of studies and is from a recognized post-secondary institution in 1 of the 4 Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador)
- was a full-time student for the entire time you were studying
- lived in one of the 4 Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months during the last 2 years before graduated
- had the visa or permit needed to work, study or get training while the applicant was in Canada
Educational requirements
The applicant must have one of these
- an education level at least equal to a Canadian one-year post-secondary certificate if having a job offer at the TEER 0 or 1 categories
- an education level at least equal to a Canadian high school certificate if having a job offer at the TEER 2, 3 or 4 categories
Language requirements
The applicant must meet the minimum language requirements based on the NOC category that applies to job offer. The minimum language requirements for each NOC category are
- CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3
- CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4
Settlement funds
The applicant need to have enough money to support himself/herself and his/her family. The amount depends on the size of family. The size of family includes anyone the applicant support who isn’t immigrating with the applicant.
Number of family members (including those you support that aren’t immigrating with you) | Funds required (in Canadian dollars) |
---|---|
1 | $3,327 |
2 | $4,142 |
3 | $5,092 |
4 | $6,183 |
5 | $7,013 |
6 | $7,909 |
7 | $8,806 |
For each additional family member | $896 |
If the applicant is already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, the applicant doesn’t need to show proof of funds.
Job offer
The job offer must meet all of these requirements:
- The job offer must be full time.
- The job offer must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
- For NOC 2021 TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 category job offers, the employer must be offering you a job that will last at least 1 year from the time you become a permanent resident.
- For NOC 2021 TEER 4 category job offers, the employer must be offering you permanent employment, that is, there is no set end date.
- The job offer cannot come from a company where you (the applicant) or your spouse or common-law partner are a majority owner.
- The job must be at the same skill level as, or higher than, the work experience that qualified you for the job (refer to the table below), unless you’re an international graduate from a recognized post-secondary institution* in Atlantic Canada.
- For certain health care sector jobs, you don’t need to have a job offer at the same skill level as, or higher than, the qualifying work experience.
- Work experience in NOC 32101 (licensed practical nurses) and NOC 31301 (registered nurses) can be used as qualifying work experience if you have a job offer in NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) or NOC 44101 (home health care workers).
- For certain health care sector jobs, you don’t need to have a job offer at the same skill level as, or higher than, the qualifying work experience.
NOC 2021 TEER job offer category and qualifying work experience requirement
NOC 2021 TEER job offer category | Work experience requirement |
TEER 0 | TEER 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 |
TEER 1 | TEER 1, 2, 3, 4 |
TEER 2 | TEER 2, 3, 4 |
TEER 3 | TEER 3, 4 |
TEER 4 | TEER 4 |
*Recognized post-secondary institution
Province | Institution |
Nova Scotia | Acadia University |
Nova Scotia | Atlantic School of Theology |
Nova Scotia | Cape Breton University |
Nova Scotia | Dalhousie University |
Nova Scotia | Mount Saint Vincent University |
Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia College of Art and Design |
Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Community College |
Nova Scotia | Saint Francis Xavier University |
Nova Scotia | Saint Mary’s University |
Nova Scotia | Université Sainte-Anne |
Nova Scotia | University of King’s College |
New Brunswick | Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick |
New Brunswick | Maritime College of Forest Technology |
New Brunswick | Mount Allison University |
New Brunswick | New Brunswick College of Craft and Design |
New Brunswick | New Brunswick Community College |
New Brunswick | Saint Thomas University |
New Brunswick | Université de Moncton |
New Brunswick | University of New Brunswick |
Newfoundland and Labrador | College of the North Atlantic |
Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial University of Newfoundland |
Prince Edward Island | Collège de l’Île |
Prince Edward Island | Holland College |
Prince Edward Island | University of Prince Edward |
Employer Designation:
Introduction:
Through Atlantic Immigration Pilot 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. International skilled workers may apply through Atlantic High-Skilled Program and Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, while international students may apply through Atlantic International Graduate Program. Employers in Atlantic Canada who wish to hire foreign talent through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) must first receive employer designation.
Nova Scotia AIPP employer requirements:
Employers in Nova Scotia must first be approved to become designated and then endorsed by the province for AIPP.
To become designated, an employer must:
- Have a business operating in good standing
- Provide information on labour needs
- Commit to working with a service provider organization on settlement and retention
To become endorsed, an employer must:
- Demonstrate efforts to hire locally have not been successful
- Recruit a foreign worker
- Provide a valid, full-time, non-seasonal job offer co-signed with the foreign worker
- Provide an individualized settlement plan co-signed with the foreign worker. Employers must also work with a settlement service provider in the province
New Brunswick AIPP employer requirements:
- The employer wants to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates
- The employer and their business are well-established and in good standing
- The employer is committed to meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members
Prince Edward Island AIPP employer requirements:
- Want to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates
- Be in good standing with provincial and federal standards and legislation
- Demonstrate preparedness to receive and meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members, and agree to do so
- Understand and agree to the reporting requirements for the program
Newfoundland and Labrador AIPP employer requirements:
- The AIPP is the immigration program best suited to address the employer’s needs
- The employer wants to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates
- The employer and their business is established and in good standing as per the program guidelines
- The employer has demonstrated their preparedness to receive and meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members, and has agreed to do so
- The employer understands and agrees to the reporting requirements for the program