Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador extend immigration agreement
by CM Staff
AIP employers have made over 9,200 job offers in sectors from manufacturing to health care and welcomed over 8,000 newcomers and their families to the region.
KING’S POINT — On Aug. 12, Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced the extension of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration Agreement. This extension will deepen the already close partnership between the federal and provincial governments and ensure that immigration policies respond to the province’s needs, support its labour market requirements and help its communities grow and prosper.
This immigration agreement extended on Aug. 12 will govern the federal-provincial relationship on immigration until July 31, 2022. It will allow the provincial government to nominate aspiring Canadians who will help grow Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy and population, and meet both federal and provincial immigration objectives.
The agreement complements the Atlantic Growth Strategy, which includes the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP). Launched in 2017, the AIP helps employers in Atlantic Canada hire qualified candidates for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally. As of May 2021, AIP employers have made over 9,200 job offers in sectors from manufacturing to health care and welcomed over 8,000 newcomers and their families to the region. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada evaluation of the pilot found that over 90% of surveyed AIP newcomers were still living in Atlantic Canada after 1 year.
To date this year, 275 new employees and 300 of their family members were assisted toward permanent residency in Newfoundland and Labrador through the AIP and Provincial Nominee Program. Further, the province has invited almost 400 individuals in the health care sector to apply for permanent residency as part of the Priority Skills NL pathway, and will be extending invitations to professionals in the technology and aquaculture sectors in the coming weeks. This success will lead to the AIP becoming a permanent program in 2022 once the pilot is completed.
“In our efforts to build Canada through immigration, Newfoundland and Labrador is an invaluable ally. I want to salute the leadership of my friend Premier Furey, who has put immigration at the heart of the province’s economic growth. The extension of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration Agreement sets the stage for many more years of fruitful cooperation, as we work together to help more of the world’s best and brightest come to Newfoundland and Labrador.” said Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
