December 8, 2017 – Population increase driven by immigration on Prince Edward Island is spurring economic growth, particularly in the province’s housing market.

P.E.I. has beaten its goal of reaching 150,000 residents by the end of 2017, and is now pushing forwards with a longer term aim of a 160,000 population by 2022.

As the population has increase, so have new housing starts, with an increase of nearly 44 per cent in new projects, while numbers have also improved in employment, retail sales and manufacturing.

The numbers are a far cry from a Statistics Canada projection in 2006, when the P.E.I. population was 135,851. The statistics bureau said the population would maintain itself for a period, before entering a period of decline.

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Now, the province is talking about pushing for a population of 175,000 by 2032, and 200,000 by 2055.

Nigel Burns, the province’s director of economics, described it as a ‘really good story’ during a meeting of the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities recently.

“A lot of this can be traced back to efforts to grow and rejuvenate the Island population,” Burns said.

The negative side of the population gain is a microcosm of a problem experienced across Canada. The distribution of the growth is concentrated in or near Charlottetown, with other areas such as West Prince and Kings County seeing population declines.

Steps are being taken to address this through the P.E.I. Provincial Nominee Program, which has a number of immigration streams targeted at boosting the population in rural areas.

The streams include P.E.I Express Entry, Skilled Workers Outside Canada, Critical Workers and the 100% Ownership Stream for business immigrations.

The issue is also covered under the province’s population action plan, which specifically works with municipal governments in rural areas to identify problems and solutions.

The 100% Ownership Stream has faced scrutiny recently over candidates deliberately forfeiting deposits and using it as a back door to permanent residence. Read more here.

Key to boosting the P.E.I population is the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, a joint federal and provincial initiative that could bring up to 4,000 immigrants a year to the four provinces in the region by 2020.

The employer-driven AIP looks to attract and retain immigrants in the region by requiring a Settlement Plan and Provincial Endorsement before permanent residence is granted.

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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 depend on whether they are applying as a worker or an international student graduate. The other requirements are the same for both.

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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.

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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: Atlantic Immigration Pilot candidates are 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 needs to commit to applying for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary application being submitted.

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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 (See ‘Endorsement’ below)

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.

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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.

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Proof of Funds

Requirements applicable to all three programs

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.

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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

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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.

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.