The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program in 4 of Canadian provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island, employers are allowed to employ foreign nationals for jobs they were unable to meet locally. The pilot has 3 programs with the option of employment:

• Atlantic International Graduate Program – for student graduates
• Atlantic High-skilled Program – for skilled workers
• Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program – for skilled workers

The 3-year pilot program gives local employers of the designated provinces to employ and recruit skilled workers from around the globe or living in Canada on temporary status, without going through a process of obtaining Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

The program was first introduced in year 2017 and has brought many newcomers and their families to Canada already. It meets the general growth of the Atlantic provinces in many important areas such as skilled labor force and immigration, trade and investments, infrastructure, etc.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program is employer-driven program which enables the employment of foreign workers.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program eligibility and requirements

REQUIREMENTS/PROGRAMS	ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE PROGRAM	ATLANTIC HIGH-SKILLED PROGRAM	ATLANTIC INTERMEDIATE-SKILLED PROGRAM
Job requirements from the designated employer	– 1-year employment contract, – full-time position, and – NOC 0, A, B or C	– 1-year employment contract, – full-time position, and – NOC 0, A or B	– permanent – full-time position, and – NOC 0, A, B or C
Work experience	Not required	– 1-year in occupation related to job offer	– 1-year in occupation related to job offer
Education	– 2 year post secondary diploma obtained in a public learning institution of Atlantic region, obtained 1 year before submitting the application for Permanent Residence	– completion of high school, – Canadian credential or Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if obtained outside Canada	– completion of high school, – Canadian credential or Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if obtained outside Canada
Language	– CLB level 4 in English or Niveau de compétence linguistique Canadien in French	– CLB level 4 in English or Niveau de compétence linguistique Canadien in French	– CLB level 4 in English or Niveau de compétence linguistique Canadien in French
Provincial support	– Letter of support from the province	– Letter of support from the province	– Letter of support from the province

Employers must be designated by the provincial government of the Atlantic province before making a job offer to the applicant.

The requirements and eligibility varies between the programs as it depends if the applicant is applying as a skilled worker or international student graduate.

The applicants also have an option to immigrate to Atlantic Canada through other programs such as Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program Process

Employers need to obtain the following for processing:

• Must be designated by the provincial government of the Atlantic province before issuing the job offer
• Must fill a form (IMM 5650) and give a copy to the applicant for signing

Make a job offer (LMIA not required)

Applicants need to obtain the following for processing:

• Meet the eligibility requirements and obtain documents for processing
• A copy of the form (IMM 5650) from the employer
• Confirmation of designation letter from employer
• Settlement plan

Temporary work permit option

Employers in need to fill the job position as soon as possible may be eligible to apply for a temporary work permit so their employees and their family members can come to Canada faster. The work permit allows the applicants to begin working while their permanent residence application is under processing. The applicant will need the following to obtain the work permit:

• A valid job offer,
• Meet the requirements for language, education, and work experience criteria,
• A letter from the province, and
• An obligation to apply for permanent residence in 90 days of the temporary work permit application

The permit issued is:

• Valid only for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot,
• Valid for 1 year and
• The applicant is eligible to start working for the designated employer.

For the applicants to do a settlement plan they need to work with a settlement service provider organization. Once the plan is ready, the applicant needs to give a copy of the plan to the employer for further processing of the provincial support.

Once the applicant accepts the job offer, the employer will link the applicant with a settlement service provider organization to create a settlement plan. Employers hiring the applicants under pilot program need to apply to the province to receive a provincial support letter to be able to employ and support the foreign national employee in their permanent residence application.

Employers will give a commitment to support the applicant and their family members to integrate into their new life in Canada on long-term basis.