In a recent announcement, newly-appointed Immigration Minister Sean Frasier declared that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) would be made permanent this January 01, 2022.
The program is set to be renamed the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) upon its launch in the new year.
Minister Fraser, who himself is from Nova Scotia, teamed up with member of parliament Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who is the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, as well as provincial leaders from the other Atlantic provinces for the announcement.
What is the Atlantic Immigration Pilot?
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is one among many immigration streams created by Canada to facilitate migration for foreign skilled workers into Atlantic Canada.
Atlantic Canada is a group of four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec.These are the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island – and the easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The AIP was created primarily to combat the consequences of the aging populations in Atlantic Canada. It is an employer-driven program that facilitates the hiring of foreign workers. All principal applicants arriving in Canada under the pilot program must have a job offer from a designated employer.
Since its launch in 2017, the AIP has been able to welcome nearly 10,000 individuals to the Atlantic provinces. With the help of local participating employers, the AIP was able to offer 9,800 jobs in key industries, including health care and manufacturing. The AIP was also able to retain 90% of newcomers who had settled in Canada through the program, at a higher success rate than other similar immigration programs in the region.
In fact, the pilot contributed to the growth of Nova Scotia’s population to one million. Among the provinces involved in the AIP, Nova Scotia was notable for having the highest immigrant retention rate, at 71%.
The pilot is set to close officially on December 31. However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continue to accept applications made through the pilot from applicants with a valid provincial endorsement until March 5, 2022.
How to Apply
If you’re interested in the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and other provincial immigration pathways to Canada, register to one of our private online discussions. Register to an orientation for free here.
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