The Atlantic Immigration Program

The Atlantic Immigration Program replaced the highly successful Atlantic Immigration Pilot and is an accelerated pathway to Canadian permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates from a Canadian institution who want to work and live in 1 of Canada’s 4 Atlantic provinces—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. The program helps employers hire qualified candidates for jobs they have not been able to fill locally.

If you are interested in applying for this program, you must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• have a job offer from a designated employer in one of the four Atlantic provinces
• be a recent graduate of a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada
• be a skilled worker

Job Applicant Eligibility Criteria for the The Atlantic Immigration Program

CRITERIA 1: A Job Listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC)

On November 16, 2022, the Government of Canada is switching to the 2021 version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). This means that

• the current NOC 2016 skill type and skill level structure (NOC 0, A, B, C and D) will be replaced with a 6-category system representing the training, education, experience and responsibilities (TEER) needed to work in an occupation
• 4-digit occupation codes will become 5-digit codes

The New TEER categories range from 0-5

TEER 0 - Management Occupations

TEER 1 -  Occupations that usually require a university degree

TEER 2 - 5 Occupations requiring a college diploma, high school diploma, apprenticeship or supervisory occupations

Physicians and healthcare professionals are categorised as TEER 1.

The next step is to determine the NOC Code and Job Class Title for the job for which you are applying.

Here are some examples.

TEER 1        NOC 31102       General practitioners and family physicians

TEER 1        NOC 31101        Specialists in surgery

You can find your occupation under the NOC 2021 list to find the correct TEER category, NOC and job class title.

CRIERIA 2: Qualifying Work Experience

Unless you are an international graduate of a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada, you will need to prove that in the last 5 years, you have worked at least 1,560 hours in the same profession as your current job application. This is the number of hours you would have worked in 1 year if you were working 30 hours per week.

You do not need to meet the work experience requirements if you’re an international graduate who

• has a degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship certification that
• took at least 2 years of studies
• is from a recognized post-secondary institution in 1 of the 4 Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador)
• was a full-time student for the entire time you were studying
• lived in one of the following provinces for at least 16 months during the last 2 years before you graduated
• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia
• Newfoundland and Labrador or
• Prince Edward Island
• had the visa or permit you needed to work, study or get training while you were in Canada

CRITERIA 3: Educational Requirements

International graduates require an educational credential assessment (ECA) to verify that your foreign degree, diploma, certificate (or other proof of your credential) is valid and equal to a Canadian one. You’ll need to get an ECA specifically for immigration purposes for your foreign degree, diploma or certificate if you are applying for the Atlantic Immigration Program.

Doctors must get the ECA report from the Medical Council of Canada (designated: April 17, 2013). This can be obtained via the physicians apply account using the process described in our a guide to medical registration in Canada

CRITERIA 4: Language Requirements

You must meet the minimum language requirements based on the NOC category that applies to your job offer. This can either be the

• Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or
• Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC)

You must submit your results from a designated language testing organization with your application. These results must be less than 2 years old when you apply.

CRITERIA 5: Settlement funds

You will need to show proof to the Canadian visa office in your home country when you apply to immigrate that you have enough money to support yourself and your family when you get to Canada. The amount you need depends on the size of your family which includes anyone you support who is not immigrating with you. If you are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you do not need to show proof of funds.

It is a good idea to research how much it costs to live in the place where you plan to settle in Canada.

Bring as much money as you can to make moving and finding a home in Canada easier. Note that Canadian customs regulations require you to declare if you’re bringing more than CAN$10,000 into Canada. If you don’t tell them, you may be fined, and your funds could be seized.

Your funds can be in the form of

• cash
• documents that show property or capital payable to you (such as stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills)
• documents that guarantee payment of a set amount of money, which is payable to you (such as bankers’ drafts, cheques, travellers' cheques or money orders)

If you meet all of these requirements, you can start looking for a job with a designated Atlantic employer.

Getting a Job Offer

You will  need to seek job opportunities with designated employers in

• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island

The job offer must meet all of these requirements:

• The job offer must be full time.
• The job offer must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
• For physicians and healthcare professionals, the employment contract must be for a minimum of 1 year.
• The job offer cannot come from a company where you (the applicant) or your spouse is a majority owner.
• The job offer must be at the same skill level as, or higher than, the work experience that qualified you for the job (refer to the table below), unless you’re an international graduate from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada.

Prepare Your Documents

You should start getting your documents ready early to avoid delays when you apply for your permanent residence in Atlantic Canada. Ensure that your language test is valid.

Get a settlement plan

After you get a job offer from a designated employer, you need to get a settlement plan. A settlement plan will help you and your family adjust to your new home in Atlantic Canada and will provide you with useful resources and contacts to help you feel welcome in your new community. These plans are free.

Your designated employer can help you find  a settlement service provider organization in the region where you will be working. If you prefer French as your official language, there are Francophone organizations that can help you.

Once you have your settlement plan, give a copy to your employer and keep a copy for yourself. If you’re not in Canada, bring the plan with you when you move to Canada.

Get your Certificate of Endorsement

After you have your settlement plan, your designated employer will ask the province to endorse your job offer and issue a Certificate of Endorsement which must be included with your permanent residence application.

Apply for Permanent Residence

Applications for permanent residence in Canada must now be made on line via the Canadian Government Permanent Residence Portal. You must open an account and then submit all documents including those issued by the designated employer.

Apply for a Temporary Work Permit

If you meet the requirements to apply for permanent residence, you may be eligible to apply for a temporary work permit. which lets you work while your permanent residence application is being processed.

This work permit

• is only for the Atlantic Immigration Program
• is valid for 1 year
• only lets you work for the employer who offered you the job

The Application Process

After your application is submitted and the fees paid, your application will be checked to ensure it is complete and further documents may be requested. If all is in order you will then be requested to have your photograph and finger prints taken and undergo a medical examination.

If your application is successful, you will receive

• Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)
• permanent resident visa (if you’re from a country that requires a visa)

When you arrive in Canada

You must use ArriveCAN to provide the mandatory travel information required for entry into Canada.

You must have

• your valid passport and/or travel documents
• Your passport must be a regular, private citizen passport.
• You can’t immigrate to Canada with a diplomatic, government service or public affairs passport.
• your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)
• your permanent resident visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA) (electronically linked to your passport)
• required if you’re from a visa-exempt country
• proof that you have the funds to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada

Identity Check on Arrival 

When you arrive in Canada, you’ll meet an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The officer will

• make sure you’re entering Canada before or on the expiry date shown on your COPR
• make sure that you’re the same person who was approved to travel to Canada ( biometrics)
• ask to see your passport and other travel documents
• ask you a few questions to make sure you still meet the terms to immigrate to Canada
• The questions will be similar to the ones you answered when you applied.

You will not be admitted to Canada if you

• give false or incomplete information
• do not convince the officer that you meet the conditions to enter Canada

Further Information About Medical Jobs in Canada

Candidates seeking jobs as family physicians or specialist physicians in Atlantic Canada are invited to register their interest by submitting a CV and contacting us to discuss opportunities. Advertised jobs can be viewed on line and applications made by uploading a recent CV which should address the essential credentials detailed in the job advert.

The procedures for obtaining a licence to practise medicine in the appropriate province are detailed in our guide to medical registration in Canada.