Maple News reports that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is making significant progress in helping Atlantic Canada attract and retain immigrants—a long-standing challenge for the region. A new evaluation by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) covering the period from the program’s 2017 launch through the 2019–2020 fiscal year suggests the employer-driven initiative is working as intended.
Designed to address population decline and chronic labour shortages, the AIP enables employers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador to hire international workers without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), a process known to be time-consuming and expensive. Instead, immigrants arrive with both a job offer and a personalized settlement plan, increasing the chances of their successful integration into local communities.
The IRCC’s findings reveal promising outcomes. Of 5,590 newcomers surveyed who arrived through the AIP, the majority were still living in their province of landing two years after arrival. This retention rate is notably higher than that of other economic immigration pathways historically used in the region.
New Brunswick hosted the largest proportion of AIP immigrants (45%), followed by Nova Scotia (34%), with PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador each accounting for 10%. The data also indicated that most AIP newcomers continued working for the employer that originally hired them, while those who switched jobs largely remained in the same province—a sign of lasting settlement.
Retention rates were particularly strong in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Among respondents still in Canada, most expressed intentions to stay in their current province, while less than 3% planned to leave. Less than one-fifth were undecided.
AIP participants cited community ties, affordable cost of living, and satisfaction with their employment as top reasons for staying. Additionally, about one-third mentioned having friends or family in their province of residence.
The encouraging preliminary results suggest that the AIP model—anchored in employment, tailored support services, and regional employer involvement—is an effective strategy for not only attracting skilled newcomers but also keeping them rooted in Atlantic Canada.
As Canada looks to address labour shortages and drive growth across its regions, the AIP may serve as a blueprint for other retention-focused immigration programs.