Today, the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, joined the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to announce that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program will be established as a permanent program effective January 1, 2022. Launched in 2017, the pilot program has been largely successful in supporting employers in Newfoundland and Labrador in filling labour market needs and has significantly increased immigrant retention, with nearly 90 per cent of principal applicants choosing to remain in the Atlantic region.

A new feature of the permanent program will be the requirement for employers to complete intercultural competency training during the on-boarding process. This training will give employers tools to better understand cultural dynamics in the workplace and to create welcoming spaces for newcomers, which in turn aims increase retention rates. Intercultural competency training will be offered free of charge and offered virtually.

Employers wishing to become a designated employer under the permanent program will be able to start the designation process in winter 2022. Starting March 6, 2022, newcomers with valid endorsements from designated employers will be able to submit a complete application of permanent residence under the permanent program.

The permanent addition of the Atlantic Immigration Program to the suite of provincial immigration pathways will enable businesses to hire and nominate newcomers for permanent residency. Today’s announcement will assist the province in reaching the ambitious goal of welcoming 5,100 newcomers annually by 2026, and positioning Newfoundland and Labrador as a national leader on immigration settlement and retention.

The agreement signed today caps off a banner year on work to advance immigration, diversity and anti-racism work in Newfoundland and Labrador. Milestones reached this year include:

• Exceeding the 2021 target of 1,700 new permanent residents in fall 2021;
• Doubling the staffing complement of the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism in order to provide more direct and responsive supports for both employers and newcomers;
• Launching a job matching service to match employers with full-time, year-round job vacancies with newcomers, including international graduates to secure full time employment in Newfoundland and Labrador;
• Launching Priority Skills Newfoundland and Labrador: a new immigration option for highly educated, highly skilled newcomers with specialized experience in key sectors where demand has outpaced local training and recruitment;
• Investing more than $2 million over the next two years for a new online application system to make it easier and faster for newcomers to Canada to settle in Newfoundland and Labrador;
• $357,000 for additional English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors in the K-12 school system, building on investment in additional ESL hires from the two previous budgets; and
• Launching the Ministerial Committee on Anti-Racism, with ongoing in-person and online consultations (www.engagenl.ca/engagement-initiatives/antiracism-engagement).

Quotes
“Immigration offers solutions to the economic, demographic and social challenges facing Newfoundland and Labrador. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program has proven to be a success for employers and newcomers, and we will build on that success with the now permanent program. Employers seeking to fill positions, and newcomers seeking opportunities, are receiving unprecedented support from our government and we look forward to continuing that important work.”
Honourable Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“Over the past few years, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot has made an incredible difference in communities across our region. It has brought us the resource we need most: more people. They’re skilled, they’re young and they’re staying. Now, we’re doubling down on what works by making it permanent, so we can continue attracting the best and brightest to our region and build a vibrant, prosperous future for Atlantic Canada.”
Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

“The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program’s success for Newfoundland and Labrador resulted from it being flexible in responding to our province’s challenges in attracting newcomers. 2021 will be the first year that our province’s targets were not only met, but exceeded. The AIPP is employer-driven, and this success demonstrates the critical role immigration plays in responding to our labour market and demographic challenges. We will now make every effort to ensure our new Atlantic Immigration Program builds on work to accelerate the arrival of more newcomers to Newfoundland and Labrador than ever before, while also being responsive to the needs of employers to meet growing labour demands.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills

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News Release: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

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