What is the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

AIP is a pathway to permanent residence for individuals who want to work and live in any of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

It is a federal program highlighting a collaborative immigration initiative to address labour shortages in these regions by attracting skilled foreign workers and international graduates from a Canadian institution to fill job vacancies in the Atlantic provinces.

AIP Eligibility Criteria

Applicants (“Candidates”) and Employers must meet certain criteria to participate in the Atlantic Immigration program.

For Applicants: Candidates must meet criteria related to:

-Job Offers

- Work Experience

- Education

- Language Proficiency

- Settlement Funds

For Employers: They must become a designated organization by the provincial government of the Atlantic province before they can make a job offer to hire a candidate for AIP. The positions must be endorsed by the province after they have shown their efforts to hire locally.

AIP designated employers have to show that they can recruit a foreign worker, have an individualized settlement plan cosigned with the foreign worker and have mandatory onboarding training.

They also must have good-standing business operations and commit to working with settlement and retention service provider organizations.

After the employer’s position is endorsed, the candidate identified by the employer can apply to Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada "IRCC" for permanent residency. Hence it is important to ensure your employer is a designated organisation and the job position is endorsed in that province before accepting that job offer as each province has its application process.

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

Job Offer

Candidates must receive a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada to be eligible for AIP. The job should fall under one of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC), 2021 Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories:

- TEER 0 (management jobs)

- TEER 1 (professional jobs that usually require a degree from a university)

- TEER 2 (technical jobs and skilled trades that usually require at least 2 years of college diploma or training as an apprentice)

- TEER 3 (technical jobs and skilled trades that usually require less than 2 years of college diploma or training as an apprentice)

- TEER 4 (intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or several weeks of job-specific training)

The job offer must be for a full-time, non-seasonal position that lasts at least one year or is permanent for a TEER 4 category job.

Work Experience

Applicants must have at least one year of full-time (or part-time equivalent) work experience within the last five years in TEER 0,1,2,3 or 4.

The work experience must be in an occupation related to the job offer and include the main duties and actions of your relevant NOC, self-employment does not count.

Note: For full-time international graduates from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada, work experience is not required.

Education

Candidates must have a one-year Canadian post-secondary degree or higher or the equivalent from outside Canada if they have a job offer at the NOC 2021 TEER 0 or 1 category.

Candidates with a job offer at NOC 2021 TEER 2, 3, or 4 must have a Canadian high school diploma or the equivalent to Canadian standards.

Note: An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a designated organization must be submitted to prove the equivalency for education outside Canada.

Language Proficiency

Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency in English or French. The minimum requirement is a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 for TEER 0, 1, 2 or 4 and a CLB 4 for TEER 4.

Note: Language test results must be less than two years old at the time of application.

Settlement Funds

Candidates must show that they have enough funds to support themselves and their family members after arriving in Canada based on the size of their family. The funds must meet 12.5% of the LICO as shown below;

Note: This requirement does not apply if the applicant lives and works in Canada with a valid work permit.

How to Apply for AIP and Steps to Apply

Applying for Atlantic Immigration Program involves several steps, from securing a job offer to submitting the final application for Atlantic Canada permanent residency.

Step 1: Obtain a Job Offer from a designated employer in one of the Atlantic provinces.

Step 2: Obtain an Endorsement Certificate:

After receiving a job offer, the employer will work with the candidate to submit an endorsement application to the province. The provincial government will assess the job offer and the candidate's qualifications. If the application is approved, the province will issue an endorsement certificate.

Step 3: Submit the Permanent Residency Application:

With the endorsement certificate, candidates can submit their permanent residency application to IRCC with all required documents demonstrating their work experience, education, language proficiency, and settlement funds.

Step 4: Medical and Security Checks

Applicants and their family members must undergo medical examinations and security background checks as part of the permanent residency application process. These checks ensure that candidates do not pose a health or security risk to Canadian society.

Step 5: Confirmation of Permanent Residence:

If the application is approved, IRCC will issue a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and a permanent resident visa (if applicable).

By meeting the eligibility criteria and following the application steps, candidates can take advantage of the opportunities available in the Atlantic provinces.

Contact our RCIC expert today for a one-on-one consultation appointment to assess your eligibility and guide you in your application at [email protected] or Call: 587-887-1776

Disclaimer: The above writing is not intended to be a source of legal advice. Please seek legal advice and use your good judgement before choosing to act on any information provided above. If you choose to rely on this article, you do so entirely at your accountability.