The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a partnership between the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces:

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island

It helps employers in the Atlantic region hire job candidates who aren’t Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The candidates will fill jobs the employers have had trouble filling locally. If the candidate and employer meet the requirements, the candidate gets permanent resident status in Canada.

Three streams of workers

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has three programs for hiring workers. Each program has requirements for the employer and the candidate.

All programs need the candidate to show they can communicate in English or French. Candidates must also show they have enough money to support themselves and their families when they come to Canada. The application packages explain how to do this.

Atlantic High-Skilled Program

The High-Skilled Program is for workers with experience in management, professional or technical/skilled jobs. There are also educational requirements. The job must last at least one year from the date the candidate becomes a permanent resident. It must be in one of these areas

management

professional

technical/skilled

Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

The Intermediate-Skilled Program is for workers with experience in jobs that require a high school education and/or job-specific training. There are also educational requirements. The job must be permanent and in one of these areas:

management

professional

technical/skilled

jobs needing a high school education

jobs needing specific training

Atlantic International Graduate Program

The International Graduate Program is for workers with specific educational requirements, including having a degree, diploma or other credential from a publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province. Work experience is not required. The job must last at least one year from the date the candidate becomes a permanent resident. It must be in one of these areas:

• management
• professional
• technical/skilled
• jobs needing a high school education
• jobs needing specific training

Optional temporary work permit

Candidates may be eligible to apply for a temporary work permit before sending their permanent resident application. This permit lets the candidate begin work while their permanent resident application is being processed. The candidate must send their permanent resident application within 90 days of sending the temporary work permit application.

This work permit is good for one year. Candidates can only work for the employer who offered them a job

Getting a temporary work permit doesn’t guarantee we’ll approve the permanent resident application

Get the application for a temporary work permit under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a partnership between the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces:

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

It helps Atlantic employers hire qualified candidates for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally. These candidates can be overseas or living in Canada temporarily.

Before you make a job offer, you must be designated by the provincial government of the Atlantic province where the candidate will be working.

There are three programs you can use to hire someone:

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

Each program has requirements that you and the candidate must meet. Once you make a job offer, you and the candidate will work through several steps. If you and the candidate meet all the requirements, the candidate gets permanent resident status in Canada.

These are the steps you need to take as an employer.

• Get designated
  • 1. Work with a settlement service provider organization
  • 2. Apply to the province to become designated
• When you find a candidate
  • 3. Make sure the job and the candidate meet the requirements
  • 4. Make a job offer
  • 5. Submit an endorsement application to the province
  • 6. Optional: Letter of Support for a temporary work permit

Get designated

Being designated means you can offer jobs under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. The provinces handle designation.

To be designated, your organization must:

• be in good standing
• have been operating in the Atlantic region for at least two years
• work with a settlement service provider organization to help your candidates get settlement services

If you meet these criteria, you can apply to the province to become designated.

1. Work with a settlement service provider organization

Before you apply to become designated, you must work with a settlement service provider organization. This organization must be located in the community where your candidate will be working. It will help your candidate adjust to life in Canada and make sure your workplace is ready to welcome newcomers.

List of settlement service provider organizations in the Atlantic region Your application  must  show that you are in contact with a settlement service provider organization. The application package for getting designated will explain how to show this.

2. Apply to the province to become designated

Each province has its own application process. There isn’t a cost to become designated. You can find applications to become designated on the provinces’ websites:

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

The provinces handle designation. Send any questions about designation to them. We aren’t involved in the designation process.

You only have to apply once to be designated by a province. You don’t need to apply for each candidate.

You can apply for designation even before you find a candidate.

You must be designated in the province where the candidate will be working. If the candidate will be working in several provinces, you must be designated in all those provinces.