Maritime process
Atlantic Immigration Pilot a huge boon for provinces, but can be complex for immigrants
Immigration in the Atlantic provinces has grown steadily since the implementation of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot since March of 2017.
The pilot received a twoyear extension in March of last year and has seen changes that give international graduates more time to apply, flexibility for hiring health-care professionals and changes to the requirements for temporary work permit application.
The program was launched as a three-year pilot in 2017 to respond to “acute demographic and labour market challenges”, including slow economic growth, an aging workforce and difficulty attracting and retaining immigrants.
According the province of P.E.I., international immigration increased by 42.3 per cent from the second quarter in 2018 to the third quarter, and was up 24.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2018.
In addition to providing full-time employment, employers participating in the pilot are expected to support the needs of newcomer employees and their family members, including requiring all participants to obtain a settlement plan from a settlement service provider organization and supporting their employees in accessing the recommended services.
As far as how new immigrants can get support for their applications to citizenship or permanent residency, they have to go outside the federal agency to get it.
A spokesperson with Immigration Canada said immigration and citizenship representatives, such as citizenship or immigration consultants, lawyers, friends, family members or other third parties not affiliated with the government of Canada can explain and give advice on immigration or citizenship options.
These included helping immigrants choose the best immigration program, filling out and submitting immigration or citizenship applications, communicating with the federal government on an immigrant’s behalf and representing immigrants in an immigration or citizenship hearing.
However, Immigration Canada said it is important to note that only authorized representatives can charge for their services.
These representatives are lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec and citizenship or immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council.