Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project:New Brunswick

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a three-year employer-driven immigration program to attract and retain global talent while supporting population growth and addressing labour shortages. The pilot will allow 2000 additional immigrants and their families to come to the four Atlantic Provinces, a key component of both the Atlantic Growth Strategy and the New Brunswick Economic Growth Plan.

Provincial government staff will assist local employers identify, hire and support foreign workers. In turn, successful candidates will be selected for permanent residency by the Federal government.

Employers interested in participating in the Pilot, must meet the following designation criteria:

• The employer wants to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates;
• The employer and their business are  well-established and in good standing; and
• The employer is committed to meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members.

For more information, please contact the employment development office near you and/or review the information under our Quick Links above.

You may also contact us at: AIPP-PPIA@gnb.ca or 1 855 444-6554

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program for Employers: Newfoundland and Labrador.

Immigration, multiculturalism, and diversity have significant social, economic, and cultural benefits for Newfoundland and Labrador. Immigrants coming to our province not only enrich the social fabric of Newfoundland and Labrador, they also bring economic advantages, generate innovation, attract industries and workers, and spur economic growth.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) will help address labour market challenges in the Atlantic Provinces by assisting employers in attracting and retaining skilled immigrants. Newfoundland and Labrador is working closely with the other Atlantic Provinces and the Federal Government to ensure the successful development and delivery of the AIPP.

To participate, employers must meet certain requirements, including a commitment to support the newcomer and their family as they integrate into their new life in Atlantic Canada.  Starting in early March 2017, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will begin accepting permanent resident applications targeting international students, intermediate-skilled workers and high-skilled workers.

Potential employers who may be interested in taking part in the AIPP could include those involved in food services industries, the health care sector and other employers prepared to offer full-time employment opportunities for hard to fill positions.  Interested employers are encouraged to review the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Employer Designation Guidelines and contact the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour’s Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism to learn more about the Pilot.

The Way Forward: A vision for sustainability and growth in Newfoundland and Labrador committed to increasing the number of immigrants to the province by 1,700 annually by 2022. Prior to the end of this fiscal year, Government will outline specific actions for achieving this target.

Employer Designation Form
Employer Designation Guide

Backgrounder: Atlantic Immigration Pilot-Programs and Employer Designation

For more information please contact:

Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism
Confederation Building, West Block
P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NL A1B 4J6

Telephone: 1-709-729-6607
Email: immigration@gov.nl.ca

Atlantic Immigration Pilot: Nova Scotia: Information for Employers.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a creative approach to addressing our labour market challenges.

Starting in March 2017, employers in Nova Scotia will be able to use the Pilot to hire foreign workers.

To learn more about the Pilot, please contact our Employer Support Team. We’re here to help.

ELIGIBILITY

Employers looking to fill persistent labour gaps through the Pilot must first be approved for eligibility by being designated and then endorsed by the Province.

Once the employer is endorsed, the foreign worker can apply for permanent residency directly to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Please see:  www.canada.ca/atlantic-immigration

The foreign worker can also access temporary pathways (i.e., obtain a work permit) while waiting for permanent residency.

1. To become designated, an employer must:

• Have a business operating in good standing
• Provide information on labour needs
• Commit to working with a service provider organization on settlement and retention

2. To become endorsed, an employer must:

• Demonstrate efforts to hire locally have not been successful
• Recruit a foreign worker
• Provide a valid, full-time, non-seasonal job offer co-signed with the foreign worker
• Provide an individualized settlement plan co-signed with the foreign worker

HOW EMPLOYERS APPLY

• Contact our Employer Support Team
• Review the Designation Guide
• Complete the application forms and submit all required information and attachments

APPLICATION GUIDE AND FORM

Employer Designation Guide (387K pdf)
Employer Designation Form (387K pdf)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Nova Scotia Office of Immigration
1469 Brenton Street, 3rd floor
PO Box 1535
Halifax, NS, Canada
B3J 2Y3

(902) 424-5230
1 (877) 292-9597immigration@novascotia.ca

Source: http://novascotiaimmigration.com/help-for-employers/atlantic-immigration-pilot/

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot: Job offer and settlement.

Get a job offer

To apply, you need a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated employer in an Atlantic province. Contact the provinces to learn which employers are hiring with this program:

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

Get a needs assessment and a settlement plan

After you get a job offer from a designated employer, you and your family members need to get a settlement needs assessment. You can get one from a designated settlement service provider organization. After the assessment, each adult member of your family will get a personalized settlement plan. The plan will:

• help you settle in Canada,
• tell you about the community where you will live, and
• tell you where you can get help for you and your family.

Learn how to get a needs assessment.

Get an endorsement letter

The employer must send the job offer, the settlement plan for each adult family member, and an endorsement application to the province for review. If the province approves the application, they will send you an endorsement letter. You must include the letter with your immigration application.

Apply

There are three different programs under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. Which program you apply for will depend on your work experience, your education and the job offer. Find out how to get the forms, pay the fees and submit your application.

Note: Canada uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) to classify jobs.

Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

Work experience

within last three years

At least one year at skill level C

Job offer

Full-time, indeterminate (permanent) with skill type/level 0, A, B, or C

Education

• Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, OR
• Foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Atlantic High-Skilled Program

Work experience

within last three years

At least one year at skill type/level 0, A, or B

Job offer

Full-time, minimum of one year with skill type/level 0, A, or B

Education

• Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, OR
• Foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Atlantic International Graduate Program

Work experience

within last three years

None required

Job offer

Full-time, minimum of one year with skill type/level 0, A, B, or C

Education

You must have:

• a minimum 2 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 last 12 months when you apply
• lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last 2 years before you graduated
• had the visa or permit needed to work, study or train in Canada

Make sure your study or training is eligible

While you wait for processing: apply for a work permit

If you are applying for one of the programs, you may be eligible to apply for a work permit if your employer needs to fill the position urgently.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is for skilled workers and international student graduates who want to permanently live in:

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

We will process up to 2,000 applications in 2017.

Who can apply - Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has two programs for skilled workers:

• Atlantic High-Skilled Program
• Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

and one program for international student graduates:

• Atlantic International Graduate Program

The work experience, education, and job offer you need will depend on whether you 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 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)

Workers apply as either high-skilled workers or intermediate-skilled workers.

• High-skilled workers must have work experience at NOC skill type/level 0, A, or B.
• Intermediate-skilled workers must have work experience at NOC skill level C.

Check the requirements to make sure you select the right job. If you are eligible to apply for both, apply as a high-skilled worker.

The experience can be gained from inside or outside Canada.

International graduates

You do not need any work experience.

Education

Workers

You 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. You need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to make sure it is valid and equal to a Canadian credential.
  The report 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

You must have:

• a minimum 2 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 last 12 months when you apply
• lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last 2 years before you graduated
• had the visa or permit needed to work, study or train in Canada

Your study or training program cannot be:

• English or French second language courses for more than half of the program, or
• distance learning undertaken for more than half the length of the program.

You can’t apply if you had a scholarship or fellowship requiring you to return to your home country after you graduate.

Job offer

You must have a job offer that is:

• from a designated employer in an Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island)
• full-time
• non-seasonal
• reviewed by the province (details on the endorsement process will be available in early March 2017)

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) and duration of the job offer depends on your application.

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

Your job offer does not need to be in the same occupation as your past work experience. However, you need to meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. The requirements are listed in the NOC.

The employer does not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

Language

You must:

• have at least a level four (4) in the Canadian Language Benchmarks in English or the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens in French, and
• take an approved language test that shows you meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Your results must be less than two years old when you apply.

Proof of funds

You will need to show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family after you immigrate. The amount you need depends on the size of your family and includes family members you support that are not immigrating with you.

You do not need to show proof if you are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/atlantic/eligibility.asp