Immigration Pilot Program
Agri-food Immigration Pilot
Canada’s Agri-food and agriculture is the largest contributor to Canadian economy as the sector contributes $110 billion annually to the country’s GDP. Eligible foreign workers can immigrate to Canada through this program. The occupations that are eligible under this program include food processing labourer, industrial and retail butchers, general farm worker, harvesting labourer, farm supervisor and specialized livestock worker.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates should possess work experience in the above occupations and also meet the following eligibility criteria: CLB level 4 in French or English; higher secondary school level education or greater; at least 12 months full-time Canadian work experience (non-seasonal) under Temporary Foreign Worker Program in any of the eligible occupations. The eligible candidates should also have a full-time indeterminate job offer – outside of Quebec.
Two-year LMIA for Employers who use Agri-food Immigration Pilot
A 2-year Labour Market Impact Assessment is issued to employers from meat processing industry to be eligible to use Agri-food Immigration Pilot. In order to be eligible for using the program they should outline their plans to support temporary foreign workers in obtaining permanent residency. Furthermore, they also need a letter of support from their union.
Pathway to Permanent Residency
Agri-food Immigration Pilot helps agricultural workers in Canada in providing a pathway to permanent residence. Eligible employers from the agriculture and food processing industries have struggled to fill agricultural workers and labour shortages in the recent years in Canada. The pilot program has opened huge opportunities for the foreign workers by proving them a pathway to permanent residence in Canada. They can avail Agri-food Immigration Pilot program to work and settle in Canada with their families.
Contact Ikaigai for Assistance
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)
RNIP Participating Communities
This program is basically a community-driven one – wherein participating communities take the lead to attract new immigrants and match them with the job vacancies available in the local community. The recommending or participating community helps in connecting newcomers to established members of the community.
Eligibility Criteria for the Candidate
Potential candidates must fulfil the requirements set by the participating community and federal requirements. One of the designated communities should recommend them. They should be graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community. They should also have a minimum of 1560 hours work experience or at least one-year continuous work experience in the past three years. The other requirements include a genuine job offer; have sufficient funds to settle and support themselves. They should meet NOC skill type language threshold.
Work Experience
The eligible candidate’s work experience can be obtained outside Canada or within Canada. Candidates with self-employed work experience are not eligible. Irrespective of breaks, the work experience can be accumulated during the three years preceding the application. The candidate must have a minimum of one year or 1560 hours work experience in one occupation in the past three years – irrespective of the number of employers.
However, recent graduates (international students) are exempted from the work experience criteria, if they have completed a full-time master’s program or a full-time post-secondary program of at least 2 years.
Education
A foreign or Canadian high school diploma or equivalent confirmed by ECA report from a designated organization. ECA must be less than five years old at the time of application.
The following candidates are exempted from the work experience requirement:
Candidates graduated from a post-secondary program in the community recommending them
Candidates graduated with certificate, diploma or degree or who completed apprenticeship from a post-secondary program of two years.
Candidates who were full-time students for entire two years and stayed for at least 16 months in the community out of their last 24 months of study.
Job Offer
The employer must be actively in business to offer the job – which must satisfy employer’s need. It must be a genuine job offer as defined by the Government of Canada and must fulfil the terms of the offer. The job offered should be genuine, full-time and permanent.
Language Requirements
Language requirements (Canadian Language Benchmark– CLB) are according to the NOC skill type or level – which is as follows:
NOC 0 and A: CLB 6
NOC B: CLB 5
NOC C and D: CLB 4
Eligible candidates must have sufficient funds to support themselves and their families after they move to Canada.
Contact Ikaigai for Assistance
Eligibility Criteria for the Community
A community can participate in the pilot if it fulfils the following criteria:
The community should be located at least 75 km from the core of aMetropolitan area if it has a population of 50000 or less – or, it should be considered remote from larger cities if it has a population or 200000 people or more. Furthermore, the community must provide job opportunities; economic development plan and also have a local economic development organization that can manage the pilot for the community.
The community should build or develop opportunities for the immigrants by connecting them with established members of the community; building relationship with regional or local immigrant-serving organizations; establishing connections with the established members of the community through networking and mentoring. The community should ensure that new immigrants get access to housing, transportation, education and health care.
Community’s Recommendation
A community recommends the candidate based on his or her work experience and skills; community’s economic needs; job offer; the candidate’s ties with the community and the intention of the candidate to live and settle in the designated community.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Employers in Canada’s four Atlantic provinces (Prince Edward Island, Labrador, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia) can hire foreign workers for jobs they are unable to fill in their local provinces with the help of Atlantic Immigration Program. This program fills the requirement of local communities and employers. The goal of this program is to develop skilled worked force, support population growth and increase employment opportunities in the local provinces by identifying, recruiting and retaining global talent.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a part of Atlantic Growth Strategy that focusses on the following five priority areas: innovation, skilled workforce and immigration; trade and investment; clean growth and climate change and infrastructure.
How It Works
Under this employer-driven program, a designated employer offers a job to the prospective foreign candidate. Under this program, the employer doesn’t have to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The candidate must have a settlement plan for themselves and their family.
A designated settlement service provider performs a needs assessment and develops a settlement plan when the employer connects the candidate with the service provider as soon as the candidate accepts the job.
Both the candidate and his or her family can come to Canada as the employer will have access to temporary work permit once they fill a job vacancy. However, to obtain the work permit, the candidate will need a valid job offer, letter from the province and a commitment to apply for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary work permit application.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot Programs
For skilled workers, there are two programs:
- Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program (AISP)
- Atlantic High-Skilled Program (AHSP)
For international student graduates, there is Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP).
Eligibility Criteria for Atlantic Immigration Program
Applicants can apply for this program as international student graduate or worker. However, job offer, education and work experience required will differ based on the type of applicant.
Requirements for Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program (AISP)
A designated employer should offer a job (full time, indeterminate; NOC 0 A, B, or C) to an eligible candidate.
Education: high school;Educational Credential Assessment or Canadian credential is required
Skilled work experience: one year relevant to the job
Language: CLB 4 in English or French
Provincial Endorsement: Letter of endorsement
Requirement for Atlantic High-Skilled Program (AHSP)
A designated employer should offer a full time, one year contract; NOC 0 A, B. The other requirements are same as above program.
Requirement for Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP)
A designated employer should offer a full time, one year contract; NOC 0 A, B or C. Skilled work experience is not required.
Education: Two-year post-secondary diploma from a publicly funded learning institution in the Atlantic region, obtained within the 12 months before the submission of the application for permanent residence.
Language: CLB 4 in English or French
Provincial Endorsement: Letter of endorsement
Other Ways to Immigrate to Atlantic Canada
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) isthe major immigration program of the Atlantic provinces over recent years. The provinces are attracting graduates, skilled workers, entrepreneurs and business immigrants through these programs.
Candidates in the Express Entry Pool can submit an application to immigrate to any of the given province as PNP stream is aligned with Federal express entry system.
Atlantic Canada PNP options
- Alberta Immigration
- British Columbia Immigration
- Manitoba Immigration
- Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
- New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
- Newfoundland And Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)
- Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
- Ontario Immigration
Home Care Provider Pilots
Canada’s aging population and low birth rate has opened huge opportunities for care givers. They play an important role in Canada’s economy and society. There are many work permits and immigration programs for caregivers in Canada. Currently there are two pilot programs for caregivers who wish to migrate to Canada: Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot. Applicants can also avail the option to obtain temporary work permits while they wait for permanent residence.
Candidates should meet the following criteria to get permanent residence under Home Support Worker Pilot and Child Care Provider Pilot programs:
Prior to submitting their application, candidates should have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in the 36 months before filling the application. They should complete Canadian post-secondary education or the foreign equivalent and also score a CLB of 5 in the language tests.They should pass an admissibility check (security, criminality and health). The candidates must also obtain ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) if it is a foreign education.
IRCC outlines the following criteria for work experience:
Total 24 months of full-time work experience must be in the relevant job. It should match the NOC’s job description and fall under occupational classification. The work experience should be within the 36 months of applying to a pilot and it should be in total 24 months, but need not be in row. It should not be a mix of both the jobs.
The work experience of caregivers in NOC 4411 makes them eligible to apply for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider. However, their work experience as foster parent does not count here. Similarly, work experience in NOC 4412 makes the caregivers eligible to apply for permanent residence through Home Support Worker Pilot, but house keepers are excluded. Only home support workers are eligible under this category.
Language proficiency levels: a CLB or NCLC of 5 in all four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
In-Home Caregivers Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) Stream
Under this category Canadian residents and families can hire foreign caregivers to assist their seniors or children. They should submit LMIA and get Canadian government approval. The caregivers can serve in the following categories of roles for both the children and elderly people: NOC 4411, NOC 3012, NOC 3233 and NOC 4412. Caregivers can then apply to get work permit. IRCC issues work permits to the eligible caregivers under NOC 4411 and 4412 based on the following conditions: They must be residing in Canada, but not living overseas. However, caregivers willing to work in Quebec can be residing in Quebec or overseas.