Atlantic Immigration Pilot

I. About the pilot
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates who want to work and live in one of Canada’s 4 Atlantic Provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

To immigrate to Atlantic Canada through the pilot, the candidate must be a recent graduate of a publicly funded institution in Atlantic Canada or a skilled worker who meets the program requirements.

The candidate can be living abroad or already be in Canada temporarily. They must receive a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada to participate in the pilot.

II. Pilot requirements
There are 3 programs in the pilot that employers can hire the candidates through. The candidates may qualify for more than one program, but they can only apply through one. For all 3 programs,they have to show proof that they meet the language, education and work experience requirementsand that they have enough money to support them and their family when they come to Canada.
1. Atlantic International Graduate Program
If the candidates have lived and studied in one of the Atlantic provinces, they may be eligible to apply for the Atlantic International Graduate Program. In general, the candidate must:
• have a degree, diploma or other credential from a publicly funded institution in an Atlantic province
• have lived in an Atlantic province for at least 16 months in the 2 years before getting yourdegree, diploma or credential
• take a language test to show they can communicate in English or French
• show they can support themselves and their family when they come to Canada

Work experience

Work experience is not required for international graduates hired through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

Education
The candidate must meet all of these requirements:
• must have at least a 2-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly funded institution in an Atlantic province.
• must have been a full-time student for the entire duration of their studies.
• graduated from this institution in the 24 months before IRCC receive their permanent resident application.
• lived in the Atlantic province of the institution granting the education credential for at least 16 months within the 24-month period before the credential was granted.
• had the visa or permit they needed to work, study or train in Canada.

Their study or training program can’t be either:
• English or French second-language courses for more than half the length of the program
• distance learning undertaken for more than half the length of the program They can’t apply if they had a scholarship or fellowship requiring them to return to their home country after they graduate.

Accelerated studies
They can accelerate their studies and complete their education credential in less than 2 years. The education credential must still be considered as part of a 2-year program by the educational institution at which it is being offered.
Note: The entire 2-year program education credential must be obtained from 1 single institution
and must have been obtained within 24 months of the date on the application for permanent
residence.

Education outside Canada
Only your education in Canada is considered. However, if the candidates have education credentials from outside Canada they want to include, they must have their education outside Canada assessed.

Language testing
Even though the candidate were educated in Canada, language tests are still required by IRCC.
The test shows they can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.

If candidates have taken an approved test, they can send those results if they
• are less than 2 years old
• show they meet the level the program requires

Proof of funds
The candidates need to have enough money to support themselves and their family when they get to Canada. The amount they need depends on the size of their family. The size of their family also includes anyone they support who isn’t immigrating with them.
If they are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, they don’t need to show proof of funds.

Get a job offer
The candidates must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:
• The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM 5650] (PDF, 1.55 MB) form.
• The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the AIP by the Atlantic province where they will be working (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island). They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
• The job must be full-time, meaning they will work at least 30 paid hours per week.
• The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means they have consistent and regularly
scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
• The job is skill type/level 0, A, B or C under the National Occupational Classification
(NOC).
• The employer is offering the candidate a job that will last for at least 1 year.
The candidates must meet employment requirements for the job they are offered. They can find these requirements in the NOC. The job doesn’t need to be in the same NOC as other jobs they have had.

2. Atlantic High-Skilled Program
In general, the candidates must:
• have worked in a management, professional or technical/skilled job for at least a year
• have at least a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent education
• take a language test to show they can communicate in English or French
• show they can support themselves and their family when they come to Canada

Work experience
In the last 3 years, they must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours they would have worked in 1 year if they were working 30 hours per week.
This work must have been at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type/level 0, A, or B.
To calculate the hours:
• Count hours worked in part-time and full-time jobs.
• The hours must be in 1 occupation, but they can be with different employers.
• They must have been paid for these hours. Volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count.
• Don’t count hours when they were self-employed.
These working hours can be inside or outside Canada.
The hours must have been accumulated over a period of at least 12 months.
Any periods of self-employment will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience.
Education
The candidate must have 1 of the following:
• a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree from
a recognized institution
• a foreign degree, diploma or certificate, equal to a Canadian credential. They will need an educational credential assessment (ECA) report from a recognized organization to show the credential is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. If they already have an ECA report, it must be less than 5 years old when IRCC receive their permanent resident application.
Language testing
The candidates must take one of the language tests that IRCC approve. The test shows they can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.
If the candidates have taken an approved test, they can send those results if they
• are less than 2 years old
• show the candidate meet the level the program requires
Proof of funds
The candidates need to have enough money to support themselves and their family when they get to Canada. The amount they need depends on the size of their family. The size of their family also includes anyone they support who isn’t immigrating with them.
If they are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, they don’t need to show proof of funds.
Get a job offer
The candidate must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:
• The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM 5650] (PDF, 1.55 MB) form.
• The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the AIP by the Atlantic province where they’ll be working (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island). They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
• The job must be full-time, meaning they will work at least 30 paid hours per week.
• The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means they have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
• The job is skill type/level 0, A or B under the NOC.
• The employer is offering the candidate a job that will last for at least 1 year (one year from the time they become a permanent resident). The candidates must meet employment requirements for the job they are offered. They can find these requirements in the NOC. The job doesn’t need to be in the same NOC as other jobs they
have had.

3. Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
In general, the candidates must:
• have worked in a job that requires a high school education and/or job-specific training for at least a year
• have at least a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent education
• take a language test to show they can communicate in English or French
• show they can support themselves and their family when they come to Canada
Work experience
In the last 3 years, the candidates must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours they would have worked in 1 year if they worked 30 hours per week.
Here is how to calculate the hours:
• Count hours worked in part-time and full-time jobs.
• The hours must be in one occupation, but they can be with different employers.
• The candidate must have been paid for these hours. Volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count.
• Don’t count hours when they were self-employed.
These working hours can be inside or outside Canada.
The hours must have been accumulated over a period of at least 12 months.
Any periods of self-employment will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience.
The candidates can use their work experience to qualify for the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program in 2 different ways.
a. Option 1
The candidate has work experience at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level C.
NOC skill level C is a type of job that usually requires a secondary (high school) education and/or job-specific training, such as:
• industrial butchers
• long-haul truck drivers
• food and beverage servers
b. Option 2
The candidate has work experience as one of the following:
• as a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC skill level A 3012)
• as a licensed practical nurse (NOC skill level B 3233) The candidate also has one of the following job offers:
• a nurse’s aide, orderly or patient services associate (NOC skill level C 3413)
• a home support worker (NOC skill level C 4412)
Education
The candidate must have 1 of the following:
• a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree from a recognized institution
• a foreign degree, diploma, or certificate equal to a Canadian credential. The candidates need an educational credential assessment (ECA) report from a recognized organization to show their credential is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. If they already have an ECA report, it must be less than 5 years old when IRCC receive their permanent resident application.
Language testing
The candidate must take one of the language tests IRCC approves. It will show they can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.
If the candidates have taken an approved test, they can send those results if they:
• are less than 2 years old
• show the candidate meet the level the program requires
Proof of funds
The candidates need to have enough money to support themselves and their family when they get to Canada. The amount they need depends on the size of their family. The size of their family also includes anyone they support who isn’t immigrating with them. If they are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, they don’t need to show proof of funds.
Get a job offer
The candidate must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:
• The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM 5650] form.
• The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the AIP by the Atlantic province where you’ll be working (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island). They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
• The job must be full-time, meaning they will work at least 30 paid hours per week.
• The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means they have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
• The job is skill type/level 0, A, B or C under the NOC.
• The employment is permanent, that is, there is no set end date.
The candidates must meet employment requirements for the job they are offered. They can find these requirements in the NOC. The job doesn’t need to be in the same NOC as other jobs they have had.
III. Settlement plan
Get a settlement plan (free)
After the candidate get a job offer from a designated employer, they need to get a settlement plan.
A settlement plan will help them and their family adjust to their new home in Atlantic Canada. It will provide them with useful resources and contacts to help them feel welcome in their new community.

If they are already in Canada, they must work with a settlement service provider organization in the region where they will be working. Their designated employer can help them find one.
If they are outside Canada, there are several settlement service provider organizations in Canada they can contact. Check with the designated employer for recommendations. Once they have their settlement plan, give a copy to the employer. If they are not in Canada, they will need to bring the plan with them when they move to Canada.

Get their Certificate of Endorsement
After candidates have their settlement plan, the province must endorse their job offer. The employer will handle this process. The candidates can’t submit their permanent residence application until they confirm with the employers that their offer has been endorsed.If the province endorses their job offer, they will get a Certificate of Endorsement in the mail. They need to include the endorsement certificate with their permanent residence application.

IV. Optional: Apply for a temporary work permit
If they applied for permanent residence under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, they may be eligible for a 1-year work permit. The work permit lets them work while their permanent residence application is being processed.
This work permit:
• is only for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot
• is valid for 1 year
• only lets the candidate work for the employer who offered them the job The candidate must send their permanent resident application within 90 days of submitting their temporary work permit application. Getting a temporary work permit doesn’t automatically mean their permanent residence application will be approved.
To qualify for a work permit, they must have:
• a job offer from a designated employer that meets the requirements of the program they are applying under
• a Referral Letter from the Atlantic province where they will be working
• If they apply for a temporary work permit, they need to show that they meet the requirements for
o language
o education
o work experience
The requirements are specific to the stream they are applying for. They only need work experience for the intermediate-skilled and high-skilled workers hired through Atlantic Immigration Program.
Temporary work permits for spouses/common-law partners:
The candidate’s spouse/common-law partner can apply for an open work permit if the candidate’s
job is listed as Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A, B or C in the National Occupation Classification (NOC).