Introduced in 2017 by the Federal government, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a pathway to permanent residence that targets skilled foreign workers and international graduates who want to work and live in one of Canada’s Atlantic Provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
An eligible candidate under this pilot must be either a recent graduate of a publicly funded institution in Atlantic Canada or a skilled worker who meets the program requirements.
This is an employer-driven program designed to help employers in Atlantic Canada hire qualified candidates for jobs they have been unable to fill locally. Principal applicants arriving to Canada under this pilot must have a job offer from a designated employer and an individualized settlement plan for themselves and their family.
This program has 3 sub-categories where each has its own eligibility criteria:
- Atlantic International Graduate Program
- Atlantic High-Skilled Program
- Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
Since the program was launched, several changes were announced. On March 1, 2019, it was extended by 2 years to meet the needs of the Atlantic provinces. And as of June 1, 2019, the spouse or common-law partner of the candidate can apply for an open work permit if the latter has work permit through this pilot and his job is listed as Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A, B or C in the National Occupation Classification.
Under this pathway, Candidates get their application processed within 6 months while an application fee of $ 1,040 applies.
Interested in knowing more about this pilot? Kindly refer to the Government of Canada website here.
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