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April 6, 2017 – The federal government and New Brunswick have signed a Canada immigration agreement aimed at boosting the provincial population and filling jobs as part of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

The agreement will guide the federal-provincial relationship for the next five years, and is the first of its kind to be signed between Canada and New Brunswick immigration.

It includes a specific focus on French-speaking immigrants, and how to bring more of them to the province, extending to how New Brunswick immigration can do more to connect with and integrate Francophones.

The agreement was signed by federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen and Donald Arseneault, New Brunswick Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour.

Read More

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Hussen said: “We anticipate that this agreement will contribute to New Brunswick’s efforts to grow its francophone communities and meet its francophone immigration targets.

“I look forward to continuing a strong, collaborative relationship with New Brunswick under this new partnership in support of the province’s economic priorities.”

Arseneault was particularly positive about the Francophone section of the agreement.

“Maintaining the unique linguistic makeup of our province is a priority and we believe the annex will ensure both federal and provincial governments apply a francophone immigration lens when developing new programming and policies,” he said.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

High and intermediate-skilled workers plus international graduates can now apply for Canadian permanent residence through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

The federal government program, being operated in partnership with the four Atlantic provinces, is open as of March 2017.

Up to 2,000 new immigrants will be accepted in 2017 to New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

The pilot is employer-driven, meaning candidates will require a job offer from a designated business in one of the Atlantic provinces. However, that employer will not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which should significantly streamline the application process.

A key requirement of the pilot is the completion of a needs assessment and settlement plan before immigration, informing the candidate and the candidate’s family about the community they are moving to, and where they can get help once they have arrived.

Under the international graduate program, candidates must have graduated from a publicly-funded university in one of the four provinces, as well as have a job offer.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot: The Programs

1. Atlantic High-Skilled Program
2. Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
3. Atlantic International Graduate Program

The work experience, education, and job offer a candidate needs will depend on whether they are applying as a worker or an international student graduate. The other requirements are the same for both.

Work Experience

Workers

You must have worked for at least one year (1,560 hours total or 30 hours per week) within the last three years. It can be full-time, non-continuous, or part-time, as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours.

The work must be:

• In one occupation (but can be with different employers)
• Paid (volunteering or unpaid internships do not count)
• At skill type/level 0, A, B, or C of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• Under the Atlantic High-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience at skill type/level 0, A, or B.
• Under the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience to be at the skill level C.
• The experience can be gained inside or outside Canada.

International Graduates

Candidates do not need work experience.

Education

Workers

Candidates must have:

• A Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree,

OR

• A foreign degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship education credential. Candidates need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to make sure it is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. The ECA must show your education is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree. Your ECA must be less than five years old when you apply.

International Graduates

Candidates must have:

• A minimum two-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province.
• Been a full-time student in Canada for at least two years.
• Graduated in the 12 months prior to the application date.
• Lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last two years before graduation.
• Had a visa or permit to work, study or train in Canada.

A candidate does not qualify if their study or training included:

• English or French second language courses for more than half of the program.
• Distance learning undertaken for more than half of the program.

A candidate cannot apply if their scholarship or fellowship required them to return to their home country after graduation.

Note: Starting in early March 2017, Atlantic Immigration Pilot candidates will be able to apply for a temporary work permit if the job needs to be filled urgently. If an employer wants a candidate to apply for a temporary work permit first, the candidate will need to commit to applying for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary application being submitted.

Job Offer

Under the high-skilled, intermediate-skilled and international graduate programs, candidates must have a job offer that is:

1. From a designated employer in an Atlantic province.
2. Non-seasonal.
3. Reviewed by the province (details on a new endorsement process will be available in early March 2017)

Job offers for high-skilled workers must:

• Be skill type/level 0, A, or B
• Last at least one year

Job offers for intermediate-skilled workers must:

• Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C
• Be indeterminate (permanent)

Job offers for international graduates must:

• Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C
• Last at least one year

A candidate’s job offer does not need to be in the same occupation as past work experience. However, a candidate does need to meet employment requirements for the job, as listed in the NOC.

The employer does not need an LMIA. Each province will communicate a list of employers hiring under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

Language

Requirements applicable to all three programs

Candidates must:

1. Score at least a level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark exam in English or the Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens in French.
2. Take an approved language test and meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Results must be less than two years old on the date of application.

Proof of Funds

Requirements applicable to all three program
Candidates need to show they have enough money to support themselves and their families after immigration. Amounts depend on the size of the family and includes family members a candidate supports that are not immigrating.

Proof is not required if a candidate is already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.

Settlement Plan

A candidate must have a needs assessment before immigrating. After the assessment, a candidate will get a plan with information about the community they are moving to and where they can get help after arrival. To find out about the needs assessment, click here.

Endorsement

Employers must complete an Endorsement Application for each candidate able to fill an existing vacancy.

Candidates cannot apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada without an endorsement., which includes details of the job offer and settlement plan.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program was announced in July 2016 and is designed to combat the aging demographic and difficulty holding on to new immigrants in the Canadian region.

It is part of a new Atlantic Growth Strategy, aimed at boosting the economy in eastern Canada in five priority areas:

• Skilled workforce and immigration
• Innovation
• Clean growth and climate change
• Trade and investment
• Infrastructure

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.

Read more news about Canada Immigration by clicking here.