Atlantic Immigration Pilot starts online work permit applications

Immigration candidates can apply for a one-year work permit through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. The work permit enables individuals to work in the province while their applications for permanent residence are under processing.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The AIP is an employer-driven program that is launched by the government to fill vacancies for specific occupations. It is managed by the federal government and the four Atlantic provinces of Canada, which are Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. Also, employers are exempt from the requirement of Labor Market Impact Assessment if they hire workers through the AIP.

Online Applications for AIP work permit

The immigration department is now taking online applications for getting work permits in the four provinces of Atlantic Canada. The window for submitting online applications has opened on August 17. In comparison, the last date for accepting paper applications is September 1, 2020. Candidates who have managed to get a job offer from one of the four Atlantic provinces can get permanent residence through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program. They must meet the following requirements to obtain a work permit:

Genuine job offer from a Canadian employer based in one of the 4 Atlantic provinces;
Commitment by the candidate to apply for permanent residence within 90 days of the approval of the work permit application.
Referral letter from the province that has offered the job;

After fulfilling these requirements, candidates can be eligible to secure a work permit for one year. Besides, the spouse or common-law partner of an applicant under the AIP will be eligible to get an Open Work Permit. Furthermore, it is the sole responsibility of employers to connect candidates with an excellent organization that provides settlement service. Also, employers have to ensure that they support the newcomers and help them settle in the province.

Who can submit AIP work permit applications?

Foreign nationals have to submit their work permit applications online. They can not apply for it at a port of entry. After successful submission of their applications, candidates must ensure that they apply for permanent residence within 90 days. The AIP provides different programs for foreign workers and international students. These are:

Atlantic High-Skilled (for foreign workers)
Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled (for foreign workers);
Atlantic International Graduate Program (for international students).

Foreign skilled workers require a minimum of one-year work experience in the occupation in which they have received the job offer from a Canadian employer. International student graduates should have a full-time job offer with a skill level of 0, A, B, or C. The Canadian Language Benchmark requirement is level 4 in all four abilities for English and French. And, the candidates should have taken the language test within the last two years. Further to this, candidates can submit copies of language test results rather than the original document for the Atlantic Immigration Program.