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 workers, intermediate 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:
- Nova Scotia employer requirements
- New Brunswick employer requirements
- Prince Edward Island employer requirements
- Newfoundland and Labrador employer requirements
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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 |