Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program - AIPP
The purpose of the pilot is to assist employers in Atlantic Canada hire foreign skilled workers who want to immigrate to Atlantic Canada and international graduates who want to stay in Atlantic Canada after they graduate.
On March 1, 2019, the pilot was extended for an additional two years to enable:
international graduates more time to apply
more flexibility for hiring health-care professionals
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot assist employers to hire qualified candidates for jobs they cannot fill locally. These candidates can be overseas or living in Canada temporarily.
There are three programs in this pilot:
Atlantic International Graduate Program
Atlantic High-skilled Program
Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program
The requirements for each program varies and the employer and the candidate must meet these requirements.
At the outset the employer must be designated by the provincial government of the Atlantic province where the candidate will be working, prior to making a job offer.
After the job offer is made, the employer and candidate need to be compliant with the the federal government requirement in order for the the candidate to get permanent resident status in Canada.
Pilot requirements
Candidates may qualify for more than one program, but can only apply through one program. They requires to show proof that they meet the language, education and work experience requirements and that they have enough money to support themselves and their family.
ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE PROGRAM
Requirements:
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 your degree, diploma or credential
take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada
Work experience is not required for international graduates hired through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.
ATLANTIC HIGH-SKILLED PROGRAM
Requirements:
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 you can communicate in English or French
show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada
ATLANTIC INTERMEDIATE-SKILLED PROGRAM
Requirements:
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 you can communicate in English or French
show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada
APPLY FOR A TEMPORARY WORK PERMIT
If you meet the requirements for permanent residence under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, you may be eligible to apply for a temporary work permit. You must have:
a job offer from a designated employer that meets the requirements of the program you’re applying under
a Referral Letter from the Atlantic province where you’ll be working
Your employer needs to request the province to send you a Referral Letter at the same time they apply to have your job offer endorsed by the province.
The temporary work permit lets you begin working while your permanent resident application is being processed. The temporary work permit:
is only for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot
is valid for one year
only lets you work for the employer who offered you the job
You must send your permanent resident application within 90 days of submitting your temporary work permit application.
