AIPP to Become Permanent Immigration Program in January 2022

Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP) will become permanent on January 1, 2022.

The Canadian government first launched the pilot in 2017. It was set to end on December 31, 2021. Following the success of the pilot, IRCC has made it a permanent immigration program. IRCC will release details on the program in the new year, and will resume accepting applications under the AIPP on March 6, 2022.

Candidates that currently hold a valid endorsement letter under AIPP must wait until March 6, 2022 to apply under the new program.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program brought over 10,000 new permanent residents to Canada since it first opened. Among the key sectors extending job offers include health care, accommodations, food services and manufacturing.

“Over the past few years, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot has made an incredible difference in communities across our region. It has brought us the resource we need most: more people. They’re skilled, they’re young and they’re staying. Now, we’re doubling down on what works by making it permanent, so we can continue attracting the best and brightest to our region and build a vibrant, prosperous future for Atlantic Canada.” – The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

What is AIPP?

The AIPP was designed to stimulate economic growth in Canada’s Atlantic provinces by attracting and retaining foreign skilled workers. Participating Atlantic provinces include New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The program supports Canada’s Atlantic Growth Strategy, aimed at accelerating growth in Atlantic Canada.

The AIPP allows certain employers to become designated, which helps them to hire foreign nationals with ease.

To apply, interested foreign nationals must secure a valid job offer with a designated AIPP employer and meet any other minimum eligibility requirements. AIPP previously had three main streams, the High-Skilled Workers Stream, Intermediate-Skilled Workers Stream, and International Graduates Stream. These streams will be closing on December 31, 2021, and will be replaced on January 1, 2022. IRCC will release additional details on eligibility requirements at this time.

AIPP success

Both federal and provincial governments have deemed AIPP a success. Nearly 90% of principal applicants who gained permanent residency through AIPP chose to remain in the Atlantic region. The pilot was effective in both supporting Atlantic employers in filling labour market gaps and facilitating the immigration of foreign workers wishing to come to Canada.

“The Atlantic Immigration Pilot’s great success for Newfoundland and Labrador resulted from it being both flexible and precise in responding to our province’s challenges in attracting newcomers. 2021 will be the first year that targets were not only met, but exceeded. This demonstrates that flexibility is crucial to resolving the unique challenges we face as a province, while also building on and maximizing the many strengths of the Federation. We will now make every effort to ensure our new Atlantic Immigration Program builds on work to accelerate the arrival of more newcomers to Newfoundland and Labrador than ever before, while also being responsive to the needs of employers to meet evolving labour demands.”

– The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills, Newfoundland and Labrador

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