Atlantic Immigration Program

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a Canadian immigration program designed to attract skilled workers and international graduates to the four Atlantic provinces of Canada, which are New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The program aims to address labor shortages and promote economic growth in these regions.

Eligibility Requirements:

This program is open to:

International graduates from a recognised post secondary institutes located in the Atlantic Canada 

OR

Skilled Workers

Job Offer from a Designated Employer:

The first and foremost requirement of this program is to obtain a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada.

You will need to obtain a job offer from an employer in one of the following provinces:

• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island

To meet the criteria for a suitable job offer, the following conditions must be fulfilled:

1. The job offer should be for full-time employment.
2. It should be a non-seasonal position, implying that you will have consistent and regular paid work throughout the year.
3. If the job falls under NOC 2021 TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3, the employer must guarantee employment for a minimum of one year from the time you obtain permanent residency.
4. For job offers falling under NOC 2021 TEER category 4, the employer must provide permanent employment without any predetermined end date.
5. The job offer cannot originate from a company where you (the applicant), your spouse, or common-law partner are majority owners.
6. The skill level of the job must match or exceed the level of work experience that qualified you for the position, as indicated in the provided table. However, this requirement does not apply if you are an international graduate from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada.
7. In certain healthcare sector roles, a job offer at the same skill level as or higher than the qualifying work experience may not be necessary.
8. Work experience in NOC 32101 (licensed practical nurses) and NOC 31301 (registered nurses) can be considered as qualifying work experience if you receive a job offer in NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates) or NOC 44101 (home health care workers).

Work Experience:

You must have accumulated a minimum of 1,560 hours of work within the last five years. This requirement is equivalent to the number of hours you would have worked in one year if you had been employed for 30 hours per week.

Here are some detailed guidelines on how to calculate your work hours:

1. Include the hours worked in both part-time and full-time positions.

2. Only count the hours for which you were paid. Volunteering or unpaid internships should not be included.

3. Exclude any hours worked when you were self-employed.

4. Consider all hours worked, whether inside or outside Canada. However, it is essential that you had legal authorization to work in Canada as a temporary resident during that time.

5. The accumulated hours must span a minimum period of 12 months.

6. If you acquired work experience while studying, you can count those hours as long as they do not exceed the authorized limit.

7. The work experience should fall under one of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) categories:

   • TEER 0: Management positions, such as restaurant managers or mine managers.
   • TEER 1: Professional jobs typically requiring a university degree, such as doctors, dentists, or architects.
   • TEER 2: Technical jobs, skilled trades, or positions with supervisory or safety responsibilities, requiring at least two years of college or apprenticeship. Examples include police officers and firefighters.
   • TEER 3: Technical jobs, skilled trades, or positions requiring less than two years of college or apprenticeship, or more than six months of on-the-job training.
   • TEER 4: Intermediate jobs that usually require a high school diploma and/or several weeks of job-specific training. Examples include industrial butchers, long-haul truck drivers, and food and beverage servers.

Your work experience must involve performing the actions and main duties described in the specific NOC category relevant to your occupation.

If you are an international graduate, you are exempt from meeting the work experience requirements if the following conditions are met:

• You hold a degree, diploma, certificate, or trade/apprenticeship certification that required at least two years of study.
• The credential is from a recognized post-secondary institution in one of the four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador.
• You were a full-time student throughout your study period.
• During the two years before your graduation, you resided in one of the aforementioned provinces for at least 16 months.
• You possessed the necessary visa or permit to work, study, or undergo training while in Canada.

Education:

You must fulfill one of the following criteria:

1. If you have a job offer falling under the NOC 2021 TEER 0 or 1 category, you must possess a Canadian one-year post-secondary educational credential or a higher qualification. Alternatively, you can have an equivalent educational credential obtained outside Canada.

2. If your job offer belongs to the NOC 2021 TEER 2, 3, or 4 category, you must hold a Canadian high school diploma or an equivalent qualification obtained from outside Canada.

However, if you completed your studies outside Canada, you will need to obtain an educational credential assessment (ECA) to verify that your educational background meets or exceeds the required level of education for your specific job offer.

When submitting your application, it is important to note that the ECA report must be issued within the last five years from the date we receive your application. This ensures that the assessment of your educational credentials remains current and relevant.

Language Ability:

To qualify for immigration through the Atlantic Immigration Program, it is essential to demonstrate your language proficiency in either English or French. This can be done by taking an approved language test that evaluates your skills in writing, reading, listening, and speaking.

To assess your language abilities, we refer to the following standards:

• Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) for English
• Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) for French

To fulfill the language requirements, you need to follow these steps:

1. Schedule your language test and pay the associated fees.
2. Ensure that your test results are less than two years old at the time of your application.
3. Include the results of your language test when you submit your application. If you fail to include them, your application will be returned to you without further processing.
4. Meet the minimum language requirements based on the NOC 2021 TEER category of your job offer when you apply. The minimum language requirements are as follows:

• CLB/NCLC 5 for job offers in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 categories.
• CLB/NCLC 4 for job offers in TEER 4 category.

Submit your test results along with your application. 

IRCC accepts the following approved language tests:

English:

• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) – General Training test .
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – General Training test .

French:

• Test d’évaluation de français (TEF Canada) . 
• Test de connaissance du français (TCF Canada) (French only) .

Ensure that you choose and take the appropriate language test based on the requirements mentioned above to fulfill the language proficiency criteria for your immigration application through the Atlantic Immigration Program.

Settlement Funds:

You will need to prove that you have enough funds to settle in Canada along with your family. However, you do not need to prove this if you already living and working in Canada legally.

The amount of funds you need to show are:

Application Process:

1. Obtain a job offer: Find an employer in one of the Atlantic provinces who is designated under the AIP. Secure a full-time job offer that meets the requirements of the specific program category.
2. Employer endorsement: The employer must complete an endorsement application for the candidate, which includes a settlement plan for the candidate and their family.
3. Submit application for permanent residence: Once the endorsement is approved, the candidate can apply for permanent residence through the appropriate AIP category. They must submit all required documents, including proof of work experience, education, language proficiency, and settlement funds.
4. Receive a provincial endorsement: If the application is approved, the candidate will receive a provincial endorsement, which they can use to apply for a work permit while waiting for their permanent residence application to be processed.
5. Apply for a work permit (optional): Candidates can apply for a temporary work permit to start working in Canada while their permanent residence application is being processed. This step is optional but recommended for faster entry into the Canadian workforce.
6. Receive permanent residence: Once the permanent residence application is approved, the candidate and their family can move to Canada and begin their new life in the Atlantic region.

Remember that each Atlantic province may have additional requirements or processes, so it’s essential to consult the specific province’s immigration website for more information.