Jan 17, 2018 – Filling just a quarter of its allocated quota, Nova Scotia has failed to fully utilize the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) to attract new skilled worker immigrants to the province.
Launched in March 2017, the employer-led AIP was designed to attract 2,000 extra skilled worker immigrants to the four Atlantic provinces.
Run by the federal government in partnership with Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, the program provides settlement support, and fast-track processing with the aim of quickly integrating candidates.
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Nova Scotia had an allocation of 792 applicants, against which it granted permanent residence to just 201. Executive director of the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration, Suzanne Ley, attributed the low uptake to it being the first year of the program.
She said it could take several years for the allocated quote to be reached.
What puts Nova Scotia’s failure to reach its quota in sharp perspective is the significantly better performance of two other participating provinces. P.E.I. managed to fill its entire quota of 120 before the end of 2017. The province has also endorsed another 15 applicants in the first month of 2018.
New Brunswick was allotted a quota of 646 applicants for 2017. While it failed to reach that figure, it still managed to use 75 per cent of the quota, with 487 skilled workers receiving job offers and obtaining permanent residence. In 2018, the province’s quota has been increased to 800.
Nova Scotia Lagging Behind
Nova Scotia lawmakers have asked authorities what will be done to ensure the province gets closer to its AIP quota in 2018.
While lawmakers applauded the management of the Nova Scotia Provincial Nomination Program by the Office of Immigration, they raised concerns about how the province was lagging behind on the AIP.
Ley responded by saying the province intended to seek input from the other provinces on how to improve the numbers. Other focus areas included improved coordination with employers, developing greater interest among applicants, and building stronger partnerships with three development agencies to promote the program.
Cape Breton Business Partnership, the Halifax Partnership and the Western Regional Enterprise Network have received $300,000 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to promote the program.
Provinces have been allowed to carry their unused places forward from 2017 into 2018. With the program likely to be extended to at least 2020, Nova Scotia is confident it can improve as time goes on.
The federal government has been forced to adjust its expectations under the AIP as part of the slow start made by some provinces.
The immigration levels plan announced in November 2017 allows for 1,000 candidates under the program in 2018, 2,000 in 2019 and gives a target of 4,000 in 2020.
Immigration Levels Plan: Atlantic Immigration Pilot
| 2018 Target | 2019 Target | 2020 Target |
| 1,000 | 2,000 | 4,000 |
Source: IRCC
The AIP is designed to combat the aging demographic and difficulty holding on to new immigrants in the Canadian region.
It is part of a new Atlantic Growth Strategy, aimed at boosting the economy in eastern Canada in five priority areas:
- Skilled workforce and immigration
- Innovation
- Clean growth and climate change
- Trade and investment
- Infrastructure
Atlantic Immigration Pilot: The Programs
- Atlantic High-Skilled Program
- Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
- Atlantic International Graduate Program
The work experience, education, and job offer a candidate needs depend on whether they are applying as a worker or an international student graduate. The other requirements are the same for both.
Work Experience
Workers
You must have worked for at least one year (1,560 hours total or 30 hours per week) within the last three years. It can be full-time, non-continuous, or part-time, as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours.
The work must be:
- In one occupation (but can be with different employers)
- Paid (volunteering or unpaid internships do not count)
- At skill type/level 0, A, B, or C of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
- Under the Atlantic High-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience at skill type/level 0, A, or B.
- Under the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience to be at the skill level C.
- The experience can be gained inside or outside Canada.
International Graduates
Candidates do not need work experience.
Education
Workers
Candidates must have:
- A Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree,
OR
- A foreign degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship education credential. Candidates need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to make sure it is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. The ECA must show your education is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree. Your ECA must be less than five years old when you apply.
International Graduates
Candidates must have:
- A minimum two-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province.
- Been a full-time student in Canada for at least two years.
- Graduated in the 12 months prior to the application date.
- Lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last two years before graduation.
- Had a visa or permit to work, study or train in Canada.
A candidate does not qualify if their study or training included:
- English or French second language courses for more than half of the program.
- Distance learning undertaken for more than half of the program.
A candidate cannot apply if their scholarship or fellowship required them to return to their home country after graduation.
Note: Atlantic Immigration Pilot candidates are able to apply for a temporary work permit if the job needs to be filled urgently. If an employer wants a candidate to apply for a temporary work permit first, the candidate needs to commit to applying for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary application being submitted.
Job Offer
Under the high-skilled, intermediate-skilled and international graduate programs, candidates must have a job offer that is:
- From a designated employer in an Atlantic province.
- Non-seasonal.
- Reviewed by the province (See ‘Endorsement’ below)
Job offers for high-skilled workers must:
- Be skill type/level 0, A, or B
- Last at least one year
Job offers for intermediate-skilled workers must:
- Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C
- Be indeterminate (permanent)
Job offers for international graduates must:
- Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C
- Last at least one year
A candidate’s job offer does not need to be in the same occupation as past work experience. However, a candidate does need to meet employment requirements for the job, as listed in the NOC.
The employer does not need an LMIA. Each province will communicate a list of employers hiring under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.
Language
Requirements applicable to all three programs
Candidates must:
- Score at least a level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark exam in English or the Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens in French.
- Take an approved language test and meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Results must be less than two years old on the date of application.
Proof of Funds
Requirements applicable to all three programs
Candidates need to show they have enough money to support themselves and their families after immigration. Amounts depend on the size of the family and includes family members a candidate supports that are not immigrating.
Proof is not required if a candidate is already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.
Settlement Plan
A candidate must have a needs assessment before immigrating. After the assessment, a candidate will get a plan with information about the community they are moving to and where they can get help after arrival. To find out about the needs assessment, click
Endorsement
Employers must complete an Endorsement Application for each candidate able to fill an existing vacancy.
Candidates cannot apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada without an endorsement., which includes details of the job offer and settlement plan.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
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