Atlantic Immigration Pilot: Nova Scotia: Information for Employers.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a creative approach to addressing our labour market challenges.

Starting in March 2017, employers in Nova Scotia will be able to use the Pilot to hire foreign workers.

To learn more about the Pilot, please contact our Employer Support Team. We’re here to help.

ELIGIBILITY

Employers looking to fill persistent labour gaps through the Pilot must first be approved for eligibility by being designated and then endorsed by the Province.

Once the employer is endorsed, the foreign worker can apply for permanent residency directly to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Please see:  www.canada.ca/atlantic-immigration

The foreign worker can also access temporary pathways (i.e., obtain a work permit) while waiting for permanent residency.

1. To become designated, an employer must:

• Have a business operating in good standing
• Provide information on labour needs
• Commit to working with a service provider organization on settlement and retention

2. To become endorsed, an employer must:

• Demonstrate efforts to hire locally have not been successful
• Recruit a foreign worker
• Provide a valid, full-time, non-seasonal job offer co-signed with the foreign worker
• Provide an individualized settlement plan co-signed with the foreign worker

HOW EMPLOYERS APPLY

• Contact our Employer Support Team
• Review the Designation Guide
• Complete the application forms and submit all required information and attachments

APPLICATION GUIDE AND FORM

Employer Designation Guide (387K pdf)
Employer Designation Form (387K pdf)

CONTACT INFORMATION

Nova Scotia Office of Immigration
1469 Brenton Street, 3rd floor
PO Box 1535
Halifax, NS, Canada
B3J 2Y3

(902) 424-5230
1 (877) 292-9597immigration@novascotia.ca

Source: http://novascotiaimmigration.com/help-for-employers/atlantic-immigration-pilot/

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot: Job offer and settlement.

Get a job offer

To apply, you need a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated employer in an Atlantic province. Contact the provinces to learn which employers are hiring with this program:

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

Get a needs assessment and a settlement plan

After you get a job offer from a designated employer, you and your family members need to get a settlement needs assessment. You can get one from a designated settlement service provider organization. After the assessment, each adult member of your family will get a personalized settlement plan. The plan will:

• help you settle in Canada,
• tell you about the community where you will live, and
• tell you where you can get help for you and your family.

Learn how to get a needs assessment.

Get an endorsement letter

The employer must send the job offer, the settlement plan for each adult family member, and an endorsement application to the province for review. If the province approves the application, they will send you an endorsement letter. You must include the letter with your immigration application.

Apply

There are three different programs under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. Which program you apply for will depend on your work experience, your education and the job offer. Find out how to get the forms, pay the fees and submit your application.

Note: Canada uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) to classify jobs.

Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

Work experience

within last three years

At least one year at skill level C

Job offer

Full-time, indeterminate (permanent) with skill type/level 0, A, B, or C

Education

• Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, OR
• Foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Atlantic High-Skilled Program

Work experience

within last three years

At least one year at skill type/level 0, A, or B

Job offer

Full-time, minimum of one year with skill type/level 0, A, or B

Education

• Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, OR
• Foreign credential and Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Atlantic International Graduate Program

Work experience

within last three years

None required

Job offer

Full-time, minimum of one year with skill type/level 0, A, B, or C

Education

You must have:

• a minimum 2 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 last 12 months when you apply
• lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last 2 years before you graduated
• had the visa or permit needed to work, study or train in Canada

Make sure your study or training is eligible

While you wait for processing: apply for a work permit

If you are applying for one of the programs, you may be eligible to apply for a work permit if your employer needs to fill the position urgently.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is for skilled workers and international student graduates who want to permanently live in:

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

We will process up to 2,000 applications in 2017.

Who can apply - Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has two programs for skilled workers:

• Atlantic High-Skilled Program
• Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

and one program for international student graduates:

• Atlantic International Graduate Program

The work experience, education, and job offer you need will depend on whether you are applying as a worker or an international student graduate. The other requirements are the same for both.

Work experience

Workers

You must have worked 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)

Workers apply as either high-skilled workers or intermediate-skilled workers.

• High-skilled workers must have work experience at NOC skill type/level 0, A, or B.
• Intermediate-skilled workers must have work experience at NOC skill level C.

Check the requirements to make sure you select the right job. If you are eligible to apply for both, apply as a high-skilled worker.

The experience can be gained from inside or outside Canada.

International graduates

You do not need any work experience.

Education

Workers

You 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. You need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to make sure it is valid and equal to a Canadian credential.
  The report 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

You must have:

• a minimum 2 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 last 12 months when you apply
• lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last 2 years before you graduated
• had the visa or permit needed to work, study or train in Canada

Your study or training program cannot be:

• English or French second language courses for more than half of the program, or
• distance learning undertaken for more than half the length of the program.

You can’t apply if you had a scholarship or fellowship requiring you to return to your home country after you graduate.

Job offer

You must have a job offer that is:

• from a designated employer in an Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island)
• full-time
• non-seasonal
• reviewed by the province (details on the endorsement process will be available in early March 2017)

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) and duration of the job offer depends on your application.

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

Your job offer does not need to be in the same occupation as your past work experience. However, you need to meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. The requirements are listed in the NOC.

The employer does not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

Language

You must:

• have at least a level four (4) in the Canadian Language Benchmarks in English or the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens in French, and
• take an approved language test that shows you meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Your results must be less than two years old when you apply.

Proof of funds

You will need to show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family after you immigrate. The amount you need depends on the size of your family and includes family members you support that are not immigrating with you.

You do not need to show proof if you are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/atlantic/eligibility.asp

Who Can apply under Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream?

To be eligible to apply under Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream, you must meet provincial and federal eligibility criteria. You will be assessed against both as part of the nomination process.

To qualify under Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream, you must:

1. Have a valid profile in the Express Entry pool;
2. Qualify for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC);
3. Indicate an interest in immigrating to either Ontario or “All Provinces and Territories” when you create a profile in Express Entry; AND
4. Have received a Notification of Interest from Ontario through your IRCC online account.

Note: You will be asked to select which federal program(s) you would like to be assessed against for your application to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

Ontario Human Capital Priorities Stream Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following provincial criteria:

• Work Experience: A minimum of either:
  • one year work experience within the past five years according to the criteria under the Federal Skilled Workers Program
  • one year work experience within the past three years according to the criteria under the Canadian Experience Class
    
• Education: Equivalent of a Canadian Bachelor’s degree or above

• Language: A minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or in French

• Settlement Funds: A minimum level of savings or income to support you and your family members

• Intent: An intention to live in Ontario

• Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score: A minimum of 400 points in the CRS of IRCC’s Express Entry system.

Note: Refugee claimants with a pending application to remain in Canada are not eligible to apply to OINP. Refugee claimants whose claim has been rejected, abandoned, or withdrawn must exit Canada prior to applying to OINP. Refugee claimants may only apply to OINP once they have left Canada. For more information related to refugee claimants, visit the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.

How to Apply

Step 1: Create an online Express Entry profile

• You must create a profile in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) Express Entry system. Once you do, you will receive an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code (also known as Candidate Identifier Code). You will need these to submit your application to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
• When you create a profile in Express Entry, you must indicate your interest in immigrating to either Ontario or “All Provinces and Territories.”
• You must qualify for one of two IRCC economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Please see the Human Capital Priorities Stream Application Guide for more details, or visit theIRCC’s website for more details on Express Entry.  

Step 2: OINP identifies candidates in Express Entry pool

• OINP searches the Express Entry pool on a regular basis and identifies potential candidates who meet the Human Capital Priorities Stream criteria (see Section 2.0 of the Human Capital Priorities Stream Application Guide for more information).
• If OINP identifies you in the Express Entry pool, you will receive a Notification of Interest from Ontario through your IRCC online account. This notification will invite you to apply to OINP for nomination under the Human Capital Priorities Stream.

Step 3: Apply to OINP under the Human Capital Priorities Stream

• To apply, you must submit your application through the OINP e-Filing Portal and ensure that you include all the required supporting documents.
• All applicants must indicate which federal immigration program they wish to be assessed against: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
• The application fee is $1,500. The fee covers the cost of processing your application and is non-refundable once you submit your application. Your fee must be paid online by credit card only (VISA or MasterCard) before your application can be submitted.
• OINP will assess your nomination according to the Human Capital Priorities Stream eligibility criteria. Your application will also be assessed to ensure you meet the FSWP or CEC criteria.

Step 4: Accept nomination from Ontario and apply for permanent residence

• If your application is approved by Ontario, you will receive a letter from OINP through your IRCC online account notifying you of your nomination. You have 30 calendar days to accept the nomination from Ontario in the Express Entry system.
• A nomination from Ontario will give you an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and you will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence from IRCC.
• Once you receive an invitation to apply from IRCC, you have 90 calendar days to submit your application for permanent residence to IRCC.

For more information on IRCC’s application process for permanent residence for provincial nominees through the Express Entry system, please visit the IRCC website.

Source: http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/pnp/OI_PNP_EE_CAPITAL_HOW.html

Who can apply under Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream?

To be eligible to apply under Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, you must meet provincial and federal eligibility criteria. You will be assessed against both as part of the nomination process.

To qualify under Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, you must:

• Have a valid profile in the Express Entry pool;
• Qualify for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC); AND
• Indicate an interest in immigrating to either Ontario or “All Provinces and Territories” when you create a profile in Express Entry.

Note: You will be asked to select which federal program(s) you would like to be assessed against for your application to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

Ontario French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must meet the following provincial criteria:

• Work Experience:
  • A minimum of either:
    • one year work experience within the past five years according to the criteria under the Federal Skilled Workers Program
    • one year work experience within the past five years according to the criteria under the Canadian Experience Class
• Education: Equivalent of a Canadian Bachelor’s degree or above;
• Language: 
  • A minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)
    • level 7 in French
    • level 6 in English
• Settlement Funds: A minimum level of savings or income to support you and your family members
• Intent: An intention to reside in Ontario.

How to Apply

Step 1: Create an online Express Entry profile

• You must create a profile in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) Express Entry system. Once you do, you will receive an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code (also known as Candidate Identifier Code). You will need these to submit your application to Ontario.
• When you create a profile in Express Entry, you must indicate your interest in immigrating to either Ontario or “All Provinces and Territories.”
• You must qualify for one of two IRCC economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Please see the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream Application Guide for more details, or visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.

Step 2: OINP identifies candidates in Express Entry pool

• The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) searches the Express Entry pool on a regular basis and identifies potential candidates who meet the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream criteria (see Section 2.0 of the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream Application Guide for more information).
• If OINP identifies you in the Express Entry pool, you will receive a Notification of Interest from Ontario through your IRCC online account. This notification will invite you to apply to OINP for nomination under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.

Step 3: Apply to OINP under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

• After you receive a PT Notification of Interest from Ontario through your IRCC online account, you have 45 calendar days to apply to OINP under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.
• To apply, you must submit your application through our OINP e-Filing Portal and ensure that you include all the required supporting documents.
• All applicants must indicate which federal immigration program they wish to be assessed against: FSWP or CEC.
• The application fee costs $1,500. The fee covers the cost of processing your application and is non-refundable once you submit your application.
• OINP will assess your nomination according to the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream eligibility criteria. Your application will also be assessed to ensure you meet the FSWP or CEC criteria.

Step 4: Accept nomination from Ontario and apply for permanent residence

• If your application is approved by Ontario, you will receive a letter from OINP through your IRCC online account notifying you of your nomination. You have 30 calendar days to accept the nomination from Ontario in the Express Entry system.
• A nomination from Ontario will give you an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and you will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence from IRCC.
• Once you receive an invitation to apply from IRCC, you have 90 calendar days to submit your application for permanent residence to IRCC.

For more information on IRCC’s application process for permanent residency for provincial nominees through the Express Entry system, please visit the IRCC website.

Source: http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/pnp/OI_PNP_EE_FRENCH_HOW.html