The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is a program operated by the federal government of Canada, as well as the governments of four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island
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The pilot focuses on helping Canadian employers in the Atlantic region find employees to fill job vacancies when no suitable candidates can be found locally. To qualify for the program, both the employer and the potential employee must meet certain requirements. After successfully applying and securing the job, the candidate will receive permanent residence status in Canada.
In order to apply for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the employer must follow these steps:
Contact the local provincial immigration office to express an interest in using the program to fill a full-time job vacancy
Contact a participating settlement service provider
Commit to preparing the workplace for the potential employee
Apply to the province to become a designated employer
Obtain designation from the province
The employee endorsement process:
The employer or recruiter must contact a participating settlement service provider
The candidate must contact a settlement service provider for a “needs assessment”, which will give them a settlement plan for the potential employee and their family
The settlement service provider gives the potential candidate a detailed settlement plan based on their assessment
The candidate submits the settlement plan to the employer
The employer completes the provincial endorsement application within a specific program (considering the candidate’s work or training experience), along with the settlement plan and job offer, and forwards it to the provincial office for approval
The province reviews and approves the endorsement application
The candidate receives an endorsement letter from the province
In some cases when the job vacancy must be filled urgently, candidates may be eligible for a temporary work permit. This still requires a valid job offer, a referral letter from the province, as well as a commitment to apply for permanent residence.
Steps For Immigration Application Within The Atlantic Immigration Pilot:
The candidate completes their permanent residence application and sends it to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The application must be supported by the endorsement letter and other required documents
On average the application is processed by IRCC within 6 months or less
The candidate (and their family) finally move to the province, where the application process took place
The employer, together with the settlement service provider, supports the candidate’s settlement plan
There are also more specialized programs within the Atlantic Immigration Pilot for certain skilled individuals. These are:
Immigration programs available within the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP)
Atlantic Intermediate Skilled Program (AISP)
Atlantic High Skilled Program (AHSP)
Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP) The benefits of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot are:
Guaranteed employment
Easier approval process
Clear settlement plan for the potential employee and their family