Canada Immigration Pilot Programs

Are you a skilled worker looking for that lucky break to improve the quality of life for yourself and your family? Are you in search of new opportunities to fulfill your dreams but not sure if your current geographical location can provide these? Then welcome to Canada Immigration Pilot, the program that affords you the opportunity to live, work and experience the rich culture of Canada as an Immigrant. In this guide, I will show you all you need to know to help you take advantage of these pilot programs and how to make your permanent move to Canada seamless.

What are the Immigration Pilot Programs?

Canada Immigration pilots are short-term programs organized by the Canadian government to address labor areas in the country that lack skilled personnel. For instance, if Canada needs skilled doctors, a Canada Immigration pilot will be designed to attract doctors into the country to fill the void. This will, in turn, lead to the country’s GDP and overall economic development.

Here is a list of Canada Immigration pilots who are still active to date.

• Atlantic Immigration Pilot program
• Agri-food Pilot
• British Columba Provincial Nominee Program
• Caregiver Pilots
• Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (no longer active as of September 2024)

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP)

Atlantic Immigration Pilot offers permanent residence to skilled immigrants and those who graduated from a Canadian institution in any of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador and wish to live there. 

The focus of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot is to invite and keep these skilled immigrants in any of the four provinces that lack the required manpower, thereby improving the economy of that province.

The three sub-categories of Atlantic Immigration Pilot include:

Atlantic High-Skilled Program (AHSP): 

This offer is available when Atlantic employers from any of the provinces offer skilled workers job offers.

Atlantic Intermediate—Skilled Program (AISP): 

This category offers jobs to workers who have received specific job training or who have a high school diploma.

Atlantic International Graduate Program (AIGP): 

The offers in this category are for international students who were former students of any educational institute located in any of the provinces.

Eligibility

The following requirements must be met to onboard this Atlantic Immigration Pilot:

You must;

• Be interested in settling down there.
• Be able to speak either French or English fluently.
• Have met the work experience and education requirements.
• Have a job offer from an Atlantic employer in any of the four provinces.
• Have sufficient funds.

How to Apply

Here is how to apply for Atlantic Immigration Pilot;

• Ensure you are eligible
• Find yourself a designated employer
• Get a full-time job offer
• Ensure you are endorsed by the province
• Ensure all your documents are in place
• Go ahead and apply
• Wait for the processing of your application.

The cost for applying for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot per Adult is $1,365 CAD. This fee contains both the application processing fee of $850 CAD and a $515 CAD for the right of permanent residence. You are expected to pay an extra fee of $230 CAD per dependent young adult if you are applying with your family.

The processing time for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot applications usually takes 6 to 12 months. This processing time varies depending on how complete your application is, how straightforward it is to authenticate your information, what volume of applications came in at the time you applied, and other unplanned variables.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program started in 2017 and was designed to be active for only five years. As it stands, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program is no longer active, as it was closed after its five-year stint on December 31, 2021. Furthermore, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped receiving pilot applications on March 5, 2022. However, due to its success, the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), a permanent immigration program, was created on  January 1, 2022, by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This new initiative program AIP, is currently accepting applications. To know more about the AIP program, book a consultation with our experts. 

Agri-Food Pilot Program

Agri-food Pilot was introduced to fix the shortage of skilled workers in Canada’s Agri-food sector especially in the areas of mushroom and greenhouse production, meat processing, and livestock production. The objective of Agri-food pilot is to employ these skilled immigrants already based in Canada on a short-term basis with work experience in any of the agri-food industries to boost the agri-food sectors.

To be eligible for the Agri-food pilot program;

• You must be working with an employer in the agri-food sector.
• You must have met the basic language requirements in English or French.
• You must have met the educational requirements which is either having a Canadian high school diploma or a foreign substitute.
• You must have had experience working full-time for at least one year, within the past three years in a qualified occupation.
• You must have adequate settlement funds to ease your settling in Canada.
• If you apply within Canada, you must have the temporary residence status requirement.

To apply for this agri-food Immigration pilot, you must;

• Find out the type of agri-food industry your employer belongs to.
• Check the eligibility of your job for such an industry.
• Ensure you have met the general requirements of the Agri-food pilot.
• Go ahead and apply

The cost of the Agri-Food immigration Pilot is $1,525, and according to IRCC regulation, the processing time for applications is usually 12 months.  

The Agri-food pilot program, which started in May 2020, has been extended until May 14, 2025. It’s still active, and by year’s end, IRCC will be making the following changes for the betterment of the agri-food pilot;

• Extending an open work permit to the families of those currently engaged in the Agri-Food Pilot, irrespective of their job skill credentials.
• The employer would now be allowed to speak on behalf of their employee’s work experience. This would serve as a backup to the employer’s reference letter.
• Residing applicants in Canada would have the option of either meeting the educational requirements or the job offer requirements.
• For vulnerable workers, their work experience under an open permit would now be considered.

Caregiver Pilots

Caregiver Pilots is a program that provides a pathway to permanent residency for skilled caregiver immigrants on arrival in Canada. This caregiver program in Canada would allow immigrants to work for organizations that offer care to individuals who cannot care for themselves or are recuperating from an illness or injury on a short-term or part-time basis. Furthermore, caregivers would have the opportunity to get work easily from a loyal employer and, at the same time be able to push for permanent residency on arrival in Canada.

With these improved Caregiver Pilots in place, you can work in the home care sector in Canada with the following requirements;

• You must have reached a level 4 Canadian Language Benchmarks.
• You must have a Canadian high school diploma or its foreign equivalent.
• You must have work experience.
• You must have received a valid full-time home care job offer.

To apply for Caregiver Pilots, here are the steps to take;

• Ensure you are eligible.
• You must have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer in the event that you don’t have the required work experience.
• You must put together the relevant documents and submit your application.
• You must do the biometrics and medical examination when requested.
• You wait for the processing of your Caregiver Pilots application.
• You will receive a decision if accepted.

The processing time for Caregiver Pilots is 12 months. Individuals with open permits and adequate work experience can have theirs processed in 6 months. The application processing cost for a single individual is $1,210 CAD which contains a processing fee of $635 CAD and a fee of $575 CAD for right of permanent residence. The same amount is paid if you are including your partner or spouse. You are to pay an extra $175 CAD for a dependent child.

Caregiver Pilots is an extension of the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot, which launched on June 18, 2019, and closed in June 2024. Caregiver Pilots started in June 2024 and will run until 2026. During this time frame, the government plans to use the caregiver program in Canada to make more than 15,000 caregivers and their families permanent residents.

Other Canada Immigration Pilot Programs

Here are some Canada Immigration Pilots that are not accepting new applications at the moment:

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP): 

The aim of this pilot is to assist smaller communities in Canada to develop economically by offering skilled immigrants permanent residency as a means to bring them into such a community.

Home Child Care Provider/Home Support Worker Pilot Program: 

This Canada Immigration Pilot offers five years pilot for qualified caregiving immigrants and their families with the aim of becoming permanent resident.

Upcoming Canada Immigration Pilot Programs

In the fall of 2024, Canada Immigration Pilot will roll out a new pilot program known as the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot. The aim is to ensure rural communities can tackle the shortage of skilled personnel through access to programs that help Indigenous businesses attract skilled personnel. 

The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot would focus on strengthening the economic development of French speaking communities and enhancing their weight demographically. 

Tips for Applying to Canada Immigration Pilot Programs

Immigrating to Canada through her pilot program could be a dream come true if you know how. Here are 5 useful tips to make your application for Canada Immigration Pilot successful;

• Ensure you know the pilot program you may be eligible for and their requirements.
• Seek out the advice of an expert and consider being represented by one.
• Ensure all necessary documents are in order, even if you have yet to submit them.
• Ensure you double check the instructions on your Canada Immigration Pilot application.  Individuals have been rejected or have their application delayed because they failed to either double check, deal with a concern on their application, or acknowledge an assumption during their application.
• Don’t tell a lie in your application, when seeking permanent residence.

Reasons for Pilot Program’s Rejection

Here are some reasons why your application for the Pilot Program might be rejected;

• Your purpose for the visit is not clearly defined.
• Incorrect or inadequate documentation.
• You lack adequate financial or settlement capabilities.
• You provided misleading information about yourself or the purpose of the visit on your application.
• You have a poor travel history due to the fact that you have never travelled outside your country before. This makes your visa application weak and may be replaced by those who have better travel history.

Canada Immigration Pilot Programs Facts and Statistics 

Canada is one country that is synonymous with Immigrants from over 200 countries. As a land of different cultures, languages, people, and religions, here are some facts based on statistics about Canada Immigration Pilot.

• In 2022, Canada hit an all-time best of 5.2 million in the number of applications processed in a single year. This was double the 2.5 million applications processed the previous year.
• Canada is the second largest country in the world and ranks first when it comes to the massive influx of Immigrants. It’s practically the home of Immigrants. About 22% of the Canadian population (40 million) is made up of Immigrants. Another interesting fact that complements being a hub for Immigrants is the fact that among the five major oceans in the world, Canada is surrounded by three of them – Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic. Isn’t this beautiful?
• Canada happens to be the first country to introduce a point system for Immigration.
• About 85% of Immigrants who came to Canada are now official citizens.
• Canada gives support to Immigrants. There are over 500 organizations that are actively supporting Immigrants by organizing mentorship programs, job training, and language classes in English and French.

Best Ways to Approach Canada Immigration Pilot Programs

The best way to approach Canada immigration pilot programs is through the IES Portal. With the IES Portal, you will be able to enjoy immigration services that involve counseling and processing all immigration matters with the help of an experienced team of registered and regulated migration consultants.

If you are thinking about schooling for your children or wondering how you can achieve your dream of higher education in any prestigious universities of choice, IES Portal has you covered, having partnered with over 300+ institutions around the world to make that dream of yours a reality. 

With an amazing team of dedicated counselors with over 25 years of professional experience in the global corporate, consultation, academic arena, administration, HR, Immigration, and citizenship law. We are known to walk the talk, and even if this might be your first time, it’s certainly not ours. So, visit our office today or book an appointment with our counselors, and you will be glad you did.

FAQ

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Conclusion

Migrating to a new country for work, improved living conditions or the pursuit of a dream can be daunting and breathtaking. Knowing which Canada Immigration Pilot to go for, its requirements and the mode of application is key to helping you get there.

Furthermore, surrounding yourself with experienced experts with proven track records to hold your hand and help you navigate all the nerve-racking processes involved in Canada Immigration Pilot via the IES Portal would help set your mind at ease so that you can savor every bit of this beautiful opportunity before you.