Immigrate through pilot projects

There are three Pilot projects

  1. Atlantic immigration pilot project
  2. Rural and northern immigration pilot project
  3. Agri-food immigration project
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Pilot requirements

There are 3 programs in the pilot that employers can hire you through. You may qualify for more than 1 program, but you can only apply through 1.

For all 3 programs, you have to show proof that you meet the language, education and work experience requirements and that you have enough money to support you and your family when you come to Canada.

Atlantic International Graduate Program

In general, you must:

  • have a degree, diploma or other credential from a publicly funded institution in an Atlantic province
  • have lived in an Atlantic province for at least 16 months in the 2 years before getting your degree, diploma or credential
  • take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
  • show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada

Work experience is not required for international graduates hired through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

The employer must also meet certain requirements.

Read the full requirements for the Atlantic International Graduate Program

Atlantic High-Skilled Program

In general, you must:

  • have worked in a management, professional or technical/skilled job for at least a year
  • have at least a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent education
  • take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
  • show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada

The employer must also meet certain requirements.

Read the full requirements for the Atlantic High-Skilled Program

Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

In general, you must:

  • have worked in a job that requires a high school education and/or job-specific training for at least a year
  • have at least a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent education
  • take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
  • show you can support yourself and your family when you come to Canada

The employer must also meet certain requirements.

Read the full requirements for the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program facilitates immigration through connecting two parties:

  1. Foreign nationals interested in becoming residents of Atlantic Canada
  2. Employers designated by the government to hire foreign nationals

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program has different requirements for both of these parties.

There are 3 programs you can use to hire someone:

Each program has requirements that you and the candidate must meet. Before you make a job offer, you must be designated by the provincial government of the Atlantic province where the candidate will be working. Once you make a job offer, you and the candidate will work through several steps. If you and the candidate meet all the requirements, the candidate gets permanent resident status in Canada.

Eligibility criteria for international graduates – Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has 3 programs:

  • High-Skilled Program
  • Intermediate-Skilled Program
  • International Graduate Program

If you’ve lived and studied in one of the Atlantic provinces, you may be eligible to apply under the Atlantic International Graduate Program.

To apply for the Atlantic International Graduate Program, you must:

  1. Find out if you’re eligible
  2. Get a job offer
  3. Submit your application
  1. Find out if you’re eligible

To qualify for the, you must:

  • have lived in an Atlantic province for at least 16 months in the 2 years before getting your degree, diploma or credential
  • meet the education requirements
  • take a language test to show you can communicate in English or French
  • show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family in Canada

Work experience

This program doesn’t require work experience.

Education

You must meet all of these requirements:

  • You must have at least a 2-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province.
  • You must have been a full-time student for the entire duration of your studies.
  • You graduated from this institution in the 24 months before we receive your permanent resident application.
  • You lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the 2 years before getting your degree, diploma or educational credential.
  • You had the visa or permit you needed to work, study or train in Canada.

Your study or training program can’t be either:

  • English or French second-language courses for more than half of the program
  • 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.

Education outside Canada

Only your education in Canada is considered. However, if you have education credentials from outside Canada you want to include, you must have your education outside Canada assessed.

Language

Even though you were educated in Canada, you must take one of the language tests we approve. The test shows you can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.

Learn about language testing for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

If you took one of the approved tests, you can send those results if they:

  • are less than 2 years old
  • show you meet the level the program requires

Proof of funds

You need to 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. The size of your family includes anyone you support who isn’t immigrating with you.

Learn how much money you should have when you arrive in Canada.

If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof.

  1. Get a job offer

You must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:

  • The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] (PDF, 817.97 KB) form.
  • The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island) where you’ll be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
  • The job must be full-time, meaning you’ll work at least 30 paid hours per week.
  • The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
  • The job is skill type/level 0, A, B or C under the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
  • The employer is offering you a job that will last for at least 1 year.

You must meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. You can find these requirements in the NOC. The job doesn’t need to be in the same NOC as other jobs you’ve had.

  1. Submit your application

When you and the employer have completed all the steps, you can submit your application.

Eligibility criteria for high-skilled workers – Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has 3 programs:

  • High-Skilled Program
  • Intermediate-Skilled Program
  • International Graduate Program

To apply for the Atlantic High-Skilled Program, you must:

  1. Find out if you’re eligible
  2. Get a job offer
  3. Submit your application
  1. Find out if you’re eligible

Work experience

In the last 3 years, you must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours you would have worked in 1 year if you were working 30 hours per week.

This work must have been at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type/level 0, A, or B.

To calculate your hours:

  • Count hours worked in part-time and full-time jobs.
  • The hours must be in 1 occupation, but they can be with different employers.
  • You must have been paid for these hours. Volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count.
  • Don’t count hours when you were self-employed.
  • These working hours can be inside or outside Canada.
  • The hours must have been accumulated over a period of at least 12 months.

If you aren’t eligible for the High-Skilled Program, see if you’re eligible for the Intermediate-Skilled Program.

Education

You must have one of the following:

  • a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
  • a foreign degree, diploma or certificate, equal to a Canadian credential. You’ll need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a recognized organization to show your credential is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. If you already have an ECA report, it must be less than 5 years old when we receive your permanent resident application.

Language

You must take one of the language tests we approve. The test shows you can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.

Learn about language testing for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

If you have taken an approved test, you can send those results if they:

  • are less than 2 years old
  • show you meet the level the program requires

Proof of funds

You need to 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. The size of your family includes anyone you support who isn’t immigrating with you.

Learn how much money you should have when you arrive in Canada.

If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof of funds.

  1. Get a job offer

You must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:

  • The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] (PDF, 817.97 KB) form.
  • The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island) where you’ll be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
  • The job must be full-time, meaning you’ll work at least 30 paid hours per week.
  • The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
  • The job is skill type/level 0, A or B under the NOC.
  • The employer is offering you a job that will last for at least 1 year.

You must meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. You can find these requirements in the NOC. The job doesn’t need to be in the same NOC as other jobs you’ve had.

  1. Submit your application

When you and the employer have completed all the steps, you can submit your application.

Eligibility criteria for intermediate-skilled workers – Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot has 3 programs:

  • High-Skilled Program
  • Intermediate-Skilled Program
  • International Graduate Program

To apply for the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, you must:

  1. Find out if you’re eligible
  2. Get a job offer
  3. Submit your application
  1. Find out if you’re eligible

Work experience

In the last 3 years, you must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours you would have worked in 1 year if you worked 30 hours per week.

Here is how to calculate your hours:

  • Count hours worked in part-time and full-time jobs.
  • The hours must be in one occupation, but they can be with different employers.
  • You must have been paid for these hours. Volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count.
  • Don’t count hours when you were self-employed.
  • These working hours can be inside or outside Canada.
  • The hours must have been accumulated over a period of at least 12 months.

You can use your work experience to qualify for the intermediate-skilled worker program in 2 different ways.

Option 1

You have work experience at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level C.

NOC skill level C is a type of job that usually requires a secondary (high school) education and/or job-specific training, such as:

  • industrial butchers
  • long-haul truck drivers
  • food and beverage servers

Option 2

You have work experience:

  • as a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC skill level A 3012), or
  • as a licensed practical nurse (NOC skill level B 3233)and
  • you have one of the following job offers:
    • a nurse’s aide, orderly or patient services associate (NOC skill level C 3413), or
    • a home support worker (NOC skill level C 4412)

Education

You must have one of the following:

  • a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
  • a foreign degree, diploma, or certificate equal to a Canadian credential. You need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a recognized organization to show your credential is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. If you already have an ECA report, it must be less than 5 years old when we receive your permanent resident application.

Language

You must take one of the language tests we approve. It will show you can communicate in English or French well enough to live and work in Canada.

Learn about language testing for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

If you have taken one of the approved tests, you can send those results if they:

  • are less than 2 years old and
  • show you meet the level the program requires

Proof of funds

You need to 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. The size of your family includes anyone you support who isn’t immigrating with you.

Learn how much money you should have when you arrive in Canada.

If you’re already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit, you don’t need to show proof.

  1. Get a job offer

You must have a job offer that meets all of these requirements:

  • The job offer was made using the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National [IMM5650] (PDF, 817.97 KB) form.
  • The employer has been designated as an employer taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot by the Atlantic province (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island) where you’ll be working. They must have a Confirmation of Designation from the province.
  • The job must be full-time, meaning you’ll work at least 30 paid hours per week.
  • The job must be non-seasonal. In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year.
  • The job is skill type/level 0, A, B or C under the NOC.
  • Your employment is permanent, that is there is no set end date.

You must meet employment requirements for the job you are offered. You can find these requirements in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The job doesn’t need to be in the same NOC as other jobs you’ve had.

  1. Submit your application

When you and the employer have completed all the steps, you can submit your application.

Eleven rural and northern communities have been selected as part of the new Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot to invite newcomers to make these communities their forever homes.

As the Canadian population ages and the birth rate declines, rural Canada’s workforce has seen a significant decrease in available workers. This pilot will help attract people that are needed to drive economic growth and help support middle-class jobs in these communities.

The participating rural and northern communities will have access to a range of supports to test this new innovative, community-driven model that will help fill labour gaps. The selected communities are: Thunder Bay (ON), Sault Ste. Marie (ON), Sudbury (ON), Timmins (ON), North Bay (ON), Gretna-Rhineland-Altona-Plum Coulee (MB), Brandon (MB), Moose Jaw (SK), Claresholm (AB), West Kootenay (BC), and Vernon (BC). The participating communities were selected as a representative sample of the regions across Canada to assist in laying out the blueprint for the rest of the country.

About the pilot

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is a community-driven program. It’s designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities by creating a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in 1 of the participating communities.

We’re partnering with these communities to test new approaches to:

  • use immigration to help meet local labour market needs and support regional economic development
  • create welcoming environments to support new immigrants staying in rural communities

This pilot will help increase long-term retention of skilled newcomers to rural areas by working with:

  • community-based partners
  • other federal government partners
  • provincial and territorial governments

About the process

Skilled workers

As a candidate, you need to find a job with an employer in 1 of the participating communities.

If a community recommends you and you’re successful in applying for permanent residence, you’ll then move there to work and live.

The application process for eligible candidates will begin as early as fall 2019. We’ll provide more information at that time, including:

  • details about who can apply
  • what documents you need for your application

View the step-by-step guide (PDF, 1.2 MB) that shows how the complete application process will work. Final details will be provided in fall 2019.

Participating Communities

As a candidate, you need to find a job with an employer in 1 of the participating communities.

If a community endorses you and you’re successful in applying for permanent residence, you’ll then move there to work and live.

The communities participating in the pilot are:

  • North Bay, ON
  • Sudbury, ON
  • Timmins, ON
  • Sault Ste. Marie, ON
  • Thunder Bay, ON
  • Brandon, MB
  • Altona/Rhineland, MB
  • Moose Jaw, SK
  • Claresholm, AB
  • Vernon, BC
  • West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC

We’ll be working with these communities to help them recruit candidates later this year.

Participating Communities had to meet specific application criteria – archived.

How to apply to a community

Details on how to apply to a community will be available later in 2019.

For now, you can research the different communities and find out more about them.

What you can expect from a community

This pilot is community-driven, meaning the communities will:

  • promote the pilot and their community to prospective candidates
  • identify job opportunities in the local economy and work to match applicants to jobs
  • assess prospective candidates who:
    • best fit the economic needs of the community
    • have a genuine employment opportunity
    • have the intention of staying in the community
  • recommend candidates for permanent residence to IRCC for a final decision
  • provide a welcoming community for immigrants
  • connect immigrants to established members of the community and settlement services
  • report on the results of the pilot

Agri-Food Immigration Pilot

The Agri-Food Immigration pilot is an industry-specific program which creates a new stream to permanent residency for temporary foreign workers in the agri-food industry and is anticipated to be available in March  2020 and to last for three years. It’s designed to help address the labour needs of the Canadian agri-food sector, particularly in meat processing and mushroom production. The pilot aims to attract experienced, non-seasonal workers who can economically establish in Canada, and who support the ongoing labour needs of the agri-food sector.

About the process

As a candidate, you will need to find a job with an employer within one of the industries and occupations listed as eligible for the pilot. If you have eligible Canadian work experience, a qualifying job offer and are successful in applying for permanent residence, you will be able to work and live in Canada as a permanent resident and work toward becoming a Canadian citizen.

The eligible industries for the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot are:

  • meat product manufacturing (NAICS 3116)
  • greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production (NAICS 1114)
  • animal production, excluding aquaculture (NAICS 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124 or 1129)

  • Eligible jobs under the pilot program

    Eligible jobs for the pilot are classified by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. You can see what duties are involved by searching your job title on the National Occupational Classification website. For each eligible industry, eligible jobs are listed below.

    For meat product manufacturing:

    • retail butchers (NOC B 6331)
    • industrial butchers (NOC C 9462)
    • farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC B 8252)
    • food processing labourers (NOC D 9617)

    For greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production:

    • farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC B 8252)
    • general farm workers (NOC C 8431)
    • harvesting labourers (NOC D 8611)

    For animal production, excluding aquaculture:

    • farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC B 8252)
    • general farm workers (NOC C 8431)

    • Application limits by occupation

      To ensure that a range of labour needs are met, there will be annual limits on the number of applications that will be processed for each occupation.

      There will be a limit of

      • 50 applications made with an eligible job offer to work as a farm supervisor or specialized livestock worker (NOC B 8252)
      • 1,470 applications made with an eligible job offer to work as either an industrial butcher (NOC C 9462) or as a retail butcher (NOC B 6331)
      • 730 applications made with an eligible job offer to work as a food processing labourer (NOC D 9617).
      • 200 applications made with an eligible job offer to work as a general farm worker (NOC C 8431).
      • 300 applications made with an eligible job offer to work as a harvesting labourer (NOC D 8611)

      This pilot will last for three years. For the first and final years of the pilot, these caps adjusted (prorated) based on remaining period for that year under the pilot.

      Fees will be refunded for applicants who submit an application that is rejected as a result of the caps being reached.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot Program, you must meet all these requirements. You must

Work experience

You need 1 year of non-seasonal work experience (at least 1,560 hours) in the past 3 years. Your work experience must be in an eligible occupation within an eligible industry.

Work experience must be acquired in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

To calculate your hours of work experience

  • Count the hours worked in full-time jobs
    • the hours can be in different eligible occupations and with different employers
    • the hours must be accumulated over a total period of at least 12 months (working more weekly hours cannot shorten this period)
    • the hours must be accumulated while being authorized to work in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program on the basis of a Labour Market Impact Assessment with a minimum 12 month duration
  • Don’t count hours you weren’t paid for; volunteering or unpaid internships don’t count
  • Don’t count hours when you were self-employed

Job offer

You must have a genuine job offer to work in an eligible occupation within an eligible industry.

The job you’re offered must meet all of these requirements

  • The job must be full-time
    • this means mean you work at least 30 paid hours per week
  • The job must be non-seasonal
    • in general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout the year
  • Your employment is permanent
    • this means that there is no set end date
  • The wage must meet or exceed the Job Bank’s prevailing wage for the occupation indicated on the job offer
  • Your job offer must be for a job in Canada, outside of Québec

Language requirements

You must prove your ability in English or French.

To measure your levels, we use the

The minimum language requirements for the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot are

CLB/NCLC 4

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

Find out more about language testing.

Educational requirements

You must have

  • A Canadian high school diploma or
  • An educational credential assessment (ECA) report, from a designated organization or professional body, showing that you completed a foreign credential at the high school level or above.
    • the ECA report must be less than 5 years old on the date of your application
    • the original ECA report must have been issued on or after the date the organization was designated

Settlement funds

Unless you’re already working legally in Canada when you apply, you must prove you have enough money to support yourself and any family members while you get settled in your community.

You must prove you have enough money to support any family members you may have, even if they’re not coming to Canada with you.

You will need to have 50% of the low income cut-off totals for the year you apply.

The low income cut-off totals are updated every year. More details will be provided when final numbers for each year are available on our website.