Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program – Visatick Immigration

Atlantic Immigration Program

The pilot, launched in 2017, helps employers in Atlantic Canada hire foreign skilled workers who want to immigrate to Atlantic Canada and international graduates who want to remain in Atlantic Canada after they graduate.

Due to its success, the government has committed to making this pilot a permanent program.

It will continue to be a flagship regional economic immigration program, complementing the provincial nominee programs in each Atlantic province.

Due to its success, the government has committed to making this pilot a permanent program.

It will continue to be a flagship regional economic immigration program, complementing the provincial nominee programs in each Atlantic province.

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates from a Canadian institution who want to work and live in one of Canada’s Four Atlantic provinces—

New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island or
Newfoundland and Labrador

The program helps employers hire qualified candidates for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally.
Due to its success, the government has committed to making this pilot a permanent program.
The Atlantic Immigration Program has replaced the pilot. It will continue to be a flagship regional economic immigration program, complementing the provincial nominee programs in each Atlantic province.
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot closed on December 31, 2021. If you received a valid provincial certificate of endorsement before December 31, 2021, you can still apply for permanent residence under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot until March 5, 2022.
You can submit your permanent residence application to the new program starting March 6, 2022.

AIP has three pathways to permanent residency:

High Skilled workers
Intermediate skilled worker
International Graduate

Eligibility Requirements for High and intermediate skilled worker are as such:

Work experience : You must have the following work experience:

within the last three years, you have accumulated at least one year of full-time (or part-time equivalent) work experience in your main occupation at:

for High Skilled worker:

NOC Skill Type 0 (management jobs such as restaurant managers, mine managers, etc.) or
NOC Skill Level A (professional jobs that usually need a degree from a university, such as doctors, dentists, architects etc.) or
NOC Skill Level B (technical jobs and skilled trades such as chefs, electricians, plumbers etc.)

Intermediate skilled worker:

Skill level C (intermediate jobs which usually need a high school or job-specific training, such as long-haul truck drivers, butchers, food and beverage servers, etc.)

Job Offer: You must have a job offer that is:

from a designated employer in an Atlantic province,
full time and non-seasonal
a one year contract, and
at type 0, or skill levels A or B or C of the NOC

Education

You must have a high-school diploma, post-secondary certificate or degree that is valid and equal to a Canadian equivalent.

Language requirements

You must have a level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or the Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Applicants inside Canada: If you are applying from inside Canada, you must submit proof that you have valid immigration status.

Funds needed to settle in Canada

You must submit proof with your application to show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada.

Eligibility Requirements for International Graduates are slightly different as this category has no work experience requirement and in regards to education it must meet following criteria:

you received, as a full-time student, a minimum 2-year post-secondary diploma, certificate, trade or apprenticeship credential from a school that is on the list of publicly funded educational institutionsin the Atlantic region;
you lived in an Atlantic province for at least 16 months within the 24 months before you obtained your educational credential (see the document checklist for examples of documents you should submit);
you graduated within the last 24 months before you apply; and
you had valid or legal temporary resident status throughout your stay in Canada

Some educational credentials are not eligible

Your educational credential is not eligible if you:

studied English or French as a second language for more than half of the program
did distance learning for more than half of the program
received a scholarship or fellowship stipulating that you return to your home country to apply your knowledge and skills.