The Atlantic provinces of Canada and the federal government started the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) together. The program is employer-driven and attracts designated employers and potential immigrant workers.
AIPP’s eligibility requirements can be captivating for certain graduates and workers. To start with, some eligible international students can fill out the application for this unique immigration program without having any work experience. Furthermore, the program also can approve workers with limited language ability or in intermediate level, C at National Occupational Classification (NOC).
The immigration program also welcomes workers/employees in various fields and levels (NOC 0, A, or B), such as professional, technical, management, and skilled trades occupations. The AIPP consists of the Maritimes as well as Newfoundland and Labrador.
Canada’s 2017 immigration plan revealed that they would allow 2,000 principal immigrants under the program and they would immigrate to Atlantic Canada in 2017. IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), started the application submissions through this Program in March 2017.
Background
The provincial heads of government had a meeting in the summer of 2016, and the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program was announced after the discussion. The Immigration Minister of that time, John McCallum confirmed that Atlantic Canada needed more newcomers to settle in those provinces. The officials and governments of those provinces had realized the need for newcomers to fix the demographic opportunities and labor industry.
The 3-year pilot program of AIPP is focused on minimizing the various sectors’ resource gaps and also helping businesses/industries to thrive with global talent.
It further is divided into sub-categories for employees:
– Atlantic High-Skilled Program (AHSP)
– Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program (AISP)
It also has another category dedicated to students:
– Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP)
The Canadian immigration office did not disclose the intake share of the sub-programs. Moreover, the provinces are not clear on the distribution among them. It could be equal for each or could be divided per capita or through some other attribute.
Prerequisites
The requirements vary according to applicants, whether they are international graduates or skilled workers.
| AISP | AHSP | AIGP | |
| Job offer |
|
– Full-time/regular
– 12-months contract – NOC levels 0, A, or B |
– Full-time
– 12-months agreement – NOC levels 0, A, B, or C
|
| Skilled job experience | – 12 months in a field similar to the offered position | Not Applicable | |
| Education |
|
– Post-secondary diploma of two years from a publicly financed educational organization in the same area | |
| Language |
or the other option is for the French language
|
||
| In case of endorsement from any province | An authorized letter will be needed. | ||
Potential new immigrants’ attraction point
Though AIPP has not been in practice for so long and also has limited seats available, the program covers a wide range of applicants. Because in this program, various potential immigrants could be interested in different reasons and eligibility.
To support the above statements, the immigration programs processed under Express Entry System have different sets of requirements such as the immigrant should have skilled work experience of 12 months in a NOC 0, A, or B level position. However, the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program under AIPP also allows applicants who have work experience in the NOC C level.
Furthermore, the language obligation in AIPP has been kept at CLB 4l. That threshold is way lower than the threshold set for Express Entry applicants. That means AIPP could be a potential option for candidates who are not eligible for various Express Entry programs or for the ones who are trying to expand their options for Canadian citizenship.
Graduates’ and Students’ way to Canadian citizenship
Canada always tries to retain international students and graduates and increase their number. To support this desire, AIPP also has a sub-program focused on international graduates. The graduates are mainly from the eligible institutions of the region. Moreover, the Atlantic part boasts a long lineup of institutions in the higher education and research field. Nova Scotia, for example, has ten universities that grant degrees and that makes Nova Scotia have the highest concentration per capita in the country.
In ideal scenarios, immigration programs need students to show some work experience after graduation. But the Atlantic International Graduate Program under AIPP does not need graduates to show work experience and hence making Canadian immigration quite smoother as compared to other available options.
Note: Graduates should be from the list of eligible institutions to be able to apply under AIGP.
Opportunities for Employers
Atlantic Canada is way different than big cities like Toronto and Montreal. The urban regions in Atlantic Canada are smaller than those cities, and that is why have a comparatively smaller job market too.
Employers in the Atlantic region rely on public support to grow and sustain. Also, this reality is backed by this pilot AIPP program, which consists of attributes of the whole Atlantic Growth Strategy. AIPP lets designated employers invite new immigrant workers, who can engage as soon as they arrive. The immigration program also arranges settlement support for the new applicants and their families so that they don’t have to move to big job markets in other cities.
Before inviting the workers, Employers have to gain the designation from their respective province(s) to become a valid users of the AIPP. Also, employers who want to hire workers in multiple locations will have to take designation from all the respective provinces.
How is Atlantic Canada?
The Atlantic regions boast a perimeter of natural beauty. The area consists of beaches and national parks which are spread over various provinces. This side of Canada has quaint village areas as well as the bustling city of Halifax, NS.
The area is considered ideal for families, consisting of various schools, tight-knit communities, and low crime rates. In terms of population, the region accommodates around 2.4 million people.
The Next Steps
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada started the application submission in 2017. Potential immigrants should check their eligibility and prepare for the application as the pilot program is only for three years.
