Atlantic Immigration Pilot

In 2017, the Atlantic Immigration pilot program was launched as part of a joint initiative to attract skilled workers to Canada’s Atlantic provinces. New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island are part of the Atlantic provinces. Atlantic Immigration Program Requirements
Through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, two parties are connected to facilitate immigration:
  1. Interested foreign nationals in becoming residents of Atlantic Canada
  2. Employers authorized by the government to employ foreign nationals
Both of these parties have different requirements for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.

Foreign National Requirements

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot program is only available for foreign nationals who meet certain requirements to immigrate to New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island. The foreign national must first have an official job offer from a designated employer.

Second, the foreign national must be eligible for one of the streams of the program. The requirements vary depending on which of the three streams of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program an applicant chooses:

High-Skilled Workers Stream

Intermediate-Skilled Workers Stream

International Graduates Stream

Employer Designation

An employer must first apply to be officially designated in order to hire foreign nationals through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program. Employers may apply directly to the province in which the business they wish to hire foreign nationals is located to become designated. An employer must demonstrate that they are in good standing with any provincial regulatory bodies. In addition, they will need to submit a description of their labor needs, including the reasons for hiring international workers.

In addition, designated employers must demonstrate that they can provide settlement support to the workers they hire through Atlantic Immigration Pilot. Business owners can obtain applications to become designated employers by visiting the immigration websites of the Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.