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Canada’s Atlantic Immigration Program vs. PNP: Which Path to PR is Right for You?
Canadian PR is one of the most sought after visas in the world. There are many pathways to get a Canadian PR like Atlantic Immigration program etc. The Unique Selling Point of a Canadian PR is that it gives a right to a person to live and work in the country.
It comes with a lot of benefits such as free healthcare, free schooling till the age of 18 and social security benefits in Canada. Canadian PR also opens up a pathway to citizenship. Even though there are many pathways to get a Canadian PR; we are going to talk about two pathways namely: Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
The Atlantic Immigration Program:
The Atlantic Immigration Program was put in place to address labor shortages in Canada’s Atlantic Provinces namely New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador. Initially the Atlantic Immigration Program was temporarily introduced in 2017 and then afterwards became a permanent PR pathway in December, 2021.
Atlantic Immigration Program is a federal program that allows employers with “AIP Employer designation” in Canada’s Atlantic Provinces to hire skilled foreign workers and international graduates from a Canadian Institution for the jobs they haven’t been able to fill through local recruitment.
Note: In order to hire skill workers the concerned employer must apply to their respective provinces like Nova Scotia etc. in order to receive Employer designation. Employers with work locations in multiple provinces must apply for separate designation for each province. Employers must pledge certain commitments such as supporting the newcomer and his or her family to settle in Atlantic Canada’s society.
What are the Inner Workings of the Atlantic Immigration Program?
Atlantic Immigration Program facilitates AIP designated employers situated in Atlantic Canada to hire foreign workers in order to meet their labor demands. All employees coming to Canada through this route must have an offer of employment and a personalized settlement plan for themselves and their family. Once an employer finds a foreign worker, it first needs to give him or her a letter of employment. But employers do not need to go through the process of obtaining a Labor Market Impact Assessment here.
Once the employee accepts the job proposal, the employer would connect the candidate with a designated settlement service provider and ensure his or her long term assimilation in Atlantic Canada as well. Employers who want to hire a worker on short notice can get him or her a temporary work permit so that he or she joins the job as soon as possible provided the following conditions are met which are as follows:
- A valid job offer letter
- A letter from the province
- A commitment to apply for Permanent Residency within 90 days of temporary work permit application.
What is the Eligibility of the Atlantic Immigration Program?
An Atlantic Immigration Program eligible candidate must at least have:
- A job offer from an employer located in Atlantic Canada.
- Qualifying work experience unless you are a student that graduated from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada. Note: The number of hours worked must be 1,560 hours in the last five years and work should be in one of the occupations listed in NOC 2021 TEER categories 0,1,2,3 or 4.
- You must have either A Canadian one year post secondary (or higher) educational criteria or The foreign equivalent and its ECA report; if the job offer is TEER 0 or 1
- You must have either A Canadian high school diploma or The foreign equivalent and its ECA report; if the job offer is TEER 2,3 or 4
- The minimum language requirements based on NOC 2021 TEER Category that applies on your job offer.
- Enough funds to settle in Canada with your family members (the amount depends on the number of family members) or if already working in Canada then there is no requirement of showing your funds.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP):
In 1998, Manitoba became the first province of Canada to attract immigrants to address their economic and labor market needs. The main purpose of PNP was to attract foreign talent, fuel economic growth, address unique labor requirements and to ensure balanced immigration across Canada. But there are a few provinces in Canada such as the territory of Nunavut that don’t have a PNP facility.
Provincial Nominee Program allows people to migrate to a particular province of Canada. It allows foreign workers to apply for job opportunities in a particular province of Canada and settle there permanently. Once you apply for a province, that particular province will assess your profile and the local job market for a fit. Once a fit is found they will approve your application and you can proceed with the process. Once a province approves your application you will be required to apply for Canada PR in a given time frame. The province will also tell you about the pathway that you should follow for getting a Canadian PR.
What are the Inner Workings of PNP?
The first step in applying through Canadian PR through PNP is to check your eligibility under Canada Immigration Points Calculator. The second step is to review the specific PNP criteria for different provinces. After finding a suitable province, the next step is to arrange the checklist of requirements. Once requirements are met then you can apply to that province. As stated earlier the province will find a fit for you in their job market based on your profile. Once a fit is found then the province will ask you to apply either through the normal PR route (non-Express Entry Stream) or through Express Entry route.
In the non-Express Entry Stream route, one has to submit a paper application for a PR visa. The processing time is usually longer than the Express Entry Stream route. In the Express Entry Stream route you must meet the Express Entry Stream requirements and an Express Entry profile for a successful outcome. The criteria for evaluation of PR applications varies from province to province.
What is the Eligibility for the PNP Program?
The common eligibility for the PNP program is as follows:
- Requirement of skills and education.
- Requirement of relevant work experience
- Intent to live in that province
- Have requisite proficiency in language such as English and/or French
- Have been nominated by the province.
Each province assesses application in their own way. Most PNPs require the candidate to have worked in the province or have studied there or have at least a job offer from an employer situated in the province. A provincial nomination can add to your CRS score or make you eligible for PR directly through IRCC.
Comparing PNP vs AIP:
Both the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program allow a candidate to settle down in certain provinces of Canada. Both have their own criteria for immigrant workers as there are 80 different PNPs and AIP varies from New Brunswick to Nova Scotia. Also if one wants to fast track his or her PR then Atlantic Immigration Program while if someone wants to settle outside Atlantic Canada then PNP is best.
A common eligibility for both the programs are getting a job offer from an employer. Even though PNP and Express Entry Stream intersect in many ways, the Atlantic Immigration Program and Express Entry are two different non-intersecting pathways to Canadian PR.
It requires time and expert advice to know the right pathway to Canadian PR based on your profile. For more information, Please contact us below.