Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP)

Employers can hire you through one of three programs in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot:

• Atlantic High-skilled Program
• Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program
• Atlantic International Graduate Program

Each program has its own requirements. These requirements cover:

• The job that you’ll have in the Atlantic province
• Your skills, experience and education
• Your ability to communicate in English or French
• Your ability to support yourself and your family in Canada
• Your intent to reside in the Atlantic province

If you are interested in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, see if you qualify for one or more of the programs.

a.) Atlantic High-skilled Program

In general, you must:

• have worked in a management, professional or technical/skilled job for at least a year
• have at least a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent education
• take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
• show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada

The employer must also meet certain requirements.

To apply for the Atlantic High-skilled Program, you must:

• Have a job offer that meets certain requirements
• Show that you meet eligibility requirements
• Fill out and submit an application

If you don’t have a job offer, you can still gather the required documents and information.

A. The job offer

You must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:

• The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] form
• The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island) where you’ll be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
• The job must be full-time, meaning you’ll work at least 30 paid hours per week
• The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year
• The job is skill type/level 0, A or B under the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• The employer is offering you a job that will last for at least one year from the date you become a permanent resident

You must meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. You can find these requirements in the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
The job doesn’t need to be in the same field as other jobs you’ve had.

B. Your eligibility requirements

Work experience

In the last three years, you must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours you would have worked in a year if you were working 30 hours per week.

This work must have been at NOC skill type/level 0, A, or B.

To calculate your hours:

• Count hours worked in part-time and full-time jobs
• The hours must be in one occupation, but they can be with different employers
• You must have been paid for these hours. Volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count
• Don’t count hours where you were self-employed
• These working hours can be inside or outside Canada

If you aren’t eligible for the High-skilled program, see if you are eligible for the Intermediate-skilled program. If you’re eligible for both the High-skilled and Intermediate-skilled program,
apply for the High-skilled program.

Education

You must have one of the following:

• A Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
• A foreign degree, diploma, or certificate, equal to a Canadian credential. You will need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a recognized organization to show your credential is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. If you already have an ECA report, it must be less than five years old when your permanent resident application is received.

Language

You must take one of the language tests we approve. It will show you can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.

If you have taken one of the approved tests, you can send those results if they:

• are less than two years old
• show you meet the level the program requires

Proof of funds

You need to have enough money to support yourself and your family when you get to Canada. The amount you need depends on the size of your family. The size of your family includes anyone you support who isn’t immigrating with you.

If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof.

C. The application

When you and the employer have completed all the steps, you can submit your application.To save time, start filling in your permanent resident application before all of the steps are completed. Gather the documents that go with your application as soon as you can.

b.) Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program

In general, you must:

• have worked in a job that requires a high school education and/or job-specific training for at least a year
• have at least a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent education
• take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
• show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada

The employer must also meet certain requirements.

To apply for the Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program, you must:

• Have a job offer that meets certain requirements
• Show that you meet eligibility requirements
• Fill out and submit an application

If you don’t have a job offer, you can still gather the required documents and information.

A. The job offer

You must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:

• The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] form
• The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island) where you’ll be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
• The job must be full-time, meaning you’ll work at least 30 paid hours per week
• The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year
• The job is skill type/level 0, A or B under the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• Your length of employment is permanent

You must meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. You can find these requirements in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The job doesn’t need to be in the same field as other jobs you’ve had.

B. Your eligibility requirements

Work experience

In the last three years, you must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours you would have worked in a year if you were working 30 hours per week.This work must have been at NOC skill type/level 0, A, or B.

To calculate your hours:

• Count hours worked in part-time and full-time jobs
• The hours must be in one occupation, but they can be with different employers
• You must have been paid for these hours. Volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count
• Don’t count hours where you were self-employed
• These working hours can be inside or outside Canada

If you are eligible for both the High-skilled and Intermediate-skilled program, apply for the High-skilled program.

Education

You must have one of the following:

• A Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
• A foreign degree, diploma, or certificate equal to a Canadian credential. You’ll need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a recognized organization to show your credential is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. If you already have an ECA report, it must be less than five years old when we receive your permanent resident application.

Language

You must take one of the language tests we approve. It will show you can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.

If you have taken one of the approved tests, you can send those results if they:

• are less than two years old
• show you meet the level the program requires

Proof of funds

You need to have enough money to support yourself and your family when you get to Canada. The amount you need depends on the size of your family. The size of your family includes anyone you support who isn’t immigrating with you.If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof.

C. The application

When you and the employer have completed all the steps, you can submit your application.To save time, start filling in your permanent resident application before all of the steps are completed. Gather the documents that go with your application as soon as you can.

c.) Atlantic International Graduate Program

In general, you must:

• have a degree, diploma or other credential from a publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province
• have lived in an Atlantic province for at least 16 months in the 2 years before getting your degree, diploma or credential
• take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
• show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada

The employer must also meet certain requirements.

To apply for the Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program, you must:

• Have a job offer that meets certain requirements
• Show that you meet eligibility requirements
• Fill out and submit an application

If you don’t have a job offer, you can still gather the required documents and information.

A. The job offer

You must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:

• The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] form
• The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island) where you’ll be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province
• The job must be full-time, meaning you’ll work at least 30 paid hours per week
• The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year
• The job is skill type/level 0, A or B under the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• The employer is offering you a job that will last for at least one year from the date you become a permanent resident

You must meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. You can find these requirements in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The job doesn’t need to be in the same field as other jobs you’ve had.

B. Your eligibility requirements

Work experience

This program doesn’t require work experience.

Education

You must have one of the following:

• You must have at least a 2-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province
• You graduated from this institution in the 12 months before we receive your permanent resident application
• You were a full-time student in Canada for at least two years
• You lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the 2 years before getting your degree, diploma or educational credential
• You had the visa or permit you needed to work, study or train in Canada

Your study or training program can’t be either:

• English or French second language courses for more than half of the program
• 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.

Education outside Canada

Only your education in Canada is considered. However, if you have education credentials from outside Canada you want to include, you must have your education outside Canada assessed.

Language

Even though you were educated in Canada, you must take one of the language tests we approve. It will show you can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.

If you took one of the approved tests, you can send those results if they:

• are less than two years old
• show you meet the level the program requires

Proof of funds

You need to have enough money to support yourself and your family when you get to Canada. The amount you need depends on the size of your family. The size of your family includes anyone you support who isn’t immigrating with you.

If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof.

C. The application

When you and the employer have completed all the steps, you can submit your application.To save time, start filling in your permanent resident application before all of the steps are completed. Gather the documents that go with your application as soon as you can.

You may be eligible for more than one program, but you can only apply through one program.

Get ready before your job offer

You must send documents with your application. You can get these documents before you have a job offer. Getting these documents can help let you apply faster when you have a job offer.

• Language – You must take a language test and send the results with your application. You must do this even if you studied in Canada.
• Education – If you studied outside Canada, you’ll need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report. This shows how your education compares to a Canadian one.
• Proof of funds – When you arrive in Canada, you must have enough money to support yourself and your family.

Proof of Funds

If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof.

How much money should you bring?

It is a good idea to research how much it costs to live in the place where you plan to settle in Canada.

Bring as much money as you can to make moving and finding a home in Canada easier. Note, however, that Canadian customs regulations require you to declare if you are bringing more than CAN$10,000 into Canada. If you do not tell them, you may be fined, and your funds could be seized. These funds could be in the form of:

• cash
• documents that show property or capital payable to you (such as stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills, etc.), or
• documents that guarantee payment of a set amount of money, which are payable to you (such as bankers’ drafts, cheques, travellers’ cheques or money orders).

There are other documents you must include in your application. Each program has an application guide with a checklist of all the documents and forms you must submit. Use the checklist to make sure you have all of the documents:

• High-skilled workers
• Intermediate-skilled workers
• International graduates

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot doesn’t match you with open jobs. We don’t know which employers are looking for workers.

An employer has to offer you a job before you can apply.

If an employer wants to hire you, make sure they are designated by the province where you’ll be working. Ask to see the Confirmation of Designation from the province where you’ll be working.

If an Atlantic employer offers you a job, make sure it meets the requirements of the program you qualify for.The employer will give you an Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] form. Sign it. Keep a copy of the form because you’ll need it for your settlement plan.

You must meet the employment requirements for the job you are offered. The requirements are listed in the National Occupational Classification. Your job offer doesn’t need to be in the same field as other jobs you’ve had.

Start your permanent resident application early. After a job offer, there are more steps before you can submit your permanent resident application. However, you can start filling in your application now.

After you get a job offer from a designated employer, you and any family members who are 18 years or older and who will be living with you in Canada need to get a settlement plan. The plan will:

• help you settle in Canada
• give you resources and links related to you and your family’s needs
• tell you where you can go in the community to get help

These plans are free.

You’ll work with a settlement service provider organization to make this plan. If you’re already in Canada, you must work with a settlement service provider organization in the region where you’ll be working. If you’re outside Canada, there are several settlement service provider organizations in Canada you can contact.

After you have your settlement plan, the province must endorse the job offer. Your employer will handle this process. Don’t submit your permanent resident application until you have been endorsed.

f the province endorses your job offer, you’ll get a Certificate of Endorsement in the mail. Include your endorsement certificate with your permanent resident application.

The endorsement application

Your employer will fill out and submit an endorsement application to the province. This will include a copy of your settlement plan(s).

Each province has its own process. Your employer may need more documents from you. You may also have to sign some forms.

Since the provinces handle endorsement, send any questions to them. IRCC isn’t involved in this step.

Choose the application package for the program you’ll be applying through:

• High-skilled workers
• Intermediate-skilled workers
• International graduates

The application package includes the instruction guide and all the forms you need to fill out.

If you meet the requirements to apply for permanent resident status under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, you may be eligible to apply for a temporary work permit (one year work permit). You must have:

• a job offer from a designated employer that meets the requirements of the program you’re applying under
• a Referral Letter from the Atlantic province where you’ll be working

Your employer will ask for a Referral Letter at the same time they apply to have your job offer endorsed by the province.

The permit lets you begin work while your permanent resident application is being processed. The permit:

• is only for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot
• is valid for one year
• only lets you work for the employer who offered you the job

You must send your permanent resident application within 90 days of submitting your temporary work permit application.

Getting a temporary work permit doesn’t automatically mean we’ll approve your permanent resident application.