Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program: Employer Designation

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program: Employer Designation

Employers in Atlantic Canada who wish to hire foreign talent through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) must first receive employer designation.

The AIPP is an immigration pilot program, introduced in 2017 for a three-year period. It allows eligible skilled workersintermediate level workers, and international graduates to become permanent residents of Canada and immigrate to one of the Atlantic provinces, namely Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

All programs under the AIPP are employer-driven, meaning that applicants require a job offer in order to satisfy the criteria. As such, local employers play a big role in the process.

There is no Labour Market Impact Assessment process under the AIPP. However, employers must still follow a few steps in order to hire through this program.

Under the AIPP, employers also work with settlement service provider organizations in their province. This will help newcomers settle and integrate in Canada.

The employer designation process and settlement service provider organizations are different for each province:

In all cases, the employer must send the job offer, the settlement plan for each adult family member, and an endorsement application to the province for review. If the province approves the application, they will send the applicant/candidate an endorsement letter. This letter must be included with the immigration application.

Nova Scotia AIPP employer requirements

Employers in Nova Scotia looking to fill persistent labour gaps through the AIPP must first be approved for eligibility by being designatedand then endorsed by the province.

To become designated, an employer must:

  • Have a business operating in good standing;
  • Provide information on labour needs; and
  • Commit to working with a service provider organization on settlement and retention

To become endorsed, an employer must:

  • Demonstrate efforts to hire locally have not been successful;
  • Recruit a foreign worker;
  • Provide a valid, full-time, non-seasonal job offer co-signed with the foreign worker; and
  • Provide an individualized settlement plan co-signed with the foreign worker.

Employers must also work with a settlement service provider in the province. See below for a list of currently available providers.

Settlement service providers in Nova Scotia

The following providers are recognized by IRCC for the purposes of providing settlement services to newcomers arriving under the AIPP.

Organization Address Email Phone
African Diaspora Association of the Maritimes 3200 Kempt Road, Suite 202
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3K 4X1
information@adamns.ca 902-404-3670
Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre 204 Kirk Place, 219 Main St.
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
B2G 2C1
info@awrcsasa.ca 902-863-6221
Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse 54 Queen St.
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
fane@federationacadienne.ca 902-433-0065
Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia 6960 Mumford Road, Suite 2120 (second floor)
Halifax, Nova Scotia
info@isans.ca 902-423-3607
New Dawn Enterprises 106 Townsend St.
Sydney, Nova Scotia
B1P 5E1
newdawn@newdawn.ca 902-539-9560
YMCA of Greater Halifax / Dartmouth 65 Main Avenue
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3M 1A4
yis@ymca.ca 902-457-9622

New Brunswick AIPP employer requirements

Employers in New Brunswick interested in participating in the AIPP must meet the following designation criteria:

  • The employer wants to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates;
  • The employer and their business are well-established and in good standing; and
  • The employer is committed to meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members.
Settlement service providers in New Brunswick

The following providers are recognized by IRCC for the purposes of providing settlement services to newcomers arriving under the AIPP.

Organization Address Email Phone
Association Multiculturelle du Restigouche 95 Roseberry St.
Campbellton, New Brunswick
E3N 3G1
Info.amr-rma@nb.aibn.com 506-789-7747
Centre de ressources pour nouveaux arrivants au Nord-Ouest Inc. 167 Boulevard Hébert,
Edmundston, New Brunswick
E3V 4H2
info@crna.ca 506-735-0604
Comité d’accueil, d’intégration et d’établissement des nouveaux arrivants de la Péninsule acadienne 22 Boulevard St-Pierre Est
Caraquet, New Brunswick
E1W 1B6
coor.caiena-pa@bellaliant.com 506-727-0185
Comité d’accueil, d’intégration et d’établissement des nouveaux arrivants de la Péninsule acadienne 22 Boulevard St-Pierre Est
Halifax, Nova Scotia
info@isans.ca 902-423-3607
Le Centre d'accueil et d'accompagnement francophone des immigrants du Sud-Est du Nouveau-Brunswick inc. 154 Queen St.
Moncton, New Brunswick
info@cafi-nb.org 506-382-7494
Multicultural Association Chaleur Region Inc. 645 Murray Avenue, Suite 1
Bathurst, New Brunswick
E2A 1T9
info@macr-amrc.ca 506-547-7651
Multicultural Association of Carleton County Inc. 330 Centreville Road, Unit 4
Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
E7M 2H3
staff@maccnb.ca 506-392-6011
Multicultural Association of Charlotte County 37 Main Street
St George, New Brunswick
E5C 3H9
info@ccmanb.com 506-755-9295
Multicultural Association of Fredericton 28 Saunders St.
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 1N1
mmcaf@mcaf.nb.ca 506-454-8292
Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area 22 Church St., Suite C170
Moncton, New Brunswick
EIC 0P7
info@magma-amgm.org 506-858-9659
Saint John Multicultural & Newcomer Resource Centre Inc. 165 Union St., 4th floor
Saint John, New Brunswick
E2L 5C7
info@sjmnrc.ca 506-642-4242
YMCA of Greater Saint John 191 Churchill Boulevard
Saint John, New Brunswick
E2L 5C7
newcomerconnections@saintjohnY.com 506-634-4860

Prince Edward Island AIPP employer requirements

Employers in PEI interested in participating in the AIPP must meet the following designation criteria.

The employer must:

  • Want to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates;
  • Be in good standing with provincial and federal standards and legislation;
  • Demonstrate preparedness to receive and meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members, and agree to do so; and
  • Understand and agree to the reporting requirements for the program.

The Employer Designation Application Form must be completed before you can apply for endorsement of a foreign national under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. Designated employers are eligible to apply for endorsement of a foreign national they wish to hire.

Settlement service providers in PEI

The following providers are recognized by IRCC for the purposes of providing settlement services to newcomers arriving under the AIPP.

Organization Address Email Phone
La Coopérative d'intégration francophone de l'Ile-du-Prince-Édouard 5 Maris Stella Avenue,
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
B3K 4X1
info@cifipe.ca 902-888-1687
PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada 49 Water St.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
C1A 1A3
902-628-6009

Newfoundland and Labrador AIPP employer requirements

Designation is the first step for employers in Newfoundland and Labrador interested in participating in the AIPP. The designation process is designed to confirm that:

  • The AIPP is the immigration program best suited to address the employer’s needs;
  • The employer wants to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates;
  • The employer and their business is established and in good standing as per the program guidelines;
  • The employer has demonstrated their preparedness to receive and meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members, and has agreed to do so; and,
  • The employer understands and agrees to the reporting requirements for the program.
Settlement service providers in Newfoundland and Labrador

The following providers are recognized by IRCC for the purposes of providing settlement services to newcomers arriving under the AIPP.

Organization Address Email Phone
Association for New Canadians 144 Military Road
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
B3K 4X1
settlement@nfld.net 709-722-9680
Fédération des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador -Centre communautaire des Grands-Vents 65 Ridge Road, Suite 233
Saint-Jean, Newfoundland and Labrador
A1B 4P5
709-757-2826