Atlantic High Skilled Program(AHSP)

The Atlantic High-Skilled Program (AHSP) is part of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP), a new Canadian immigration venture for 2017 and beyond. Through this program, eligible foreign workers with a job offer from an employer in Atlantic Canada can submit an application for Canadian permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) aims to process 80 percent of applications within six months.

Education

Applicants must demonstrate they have either of the following:

  • a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
  • a completed foreign credential (WES)
  • The ECA must be less than 5 years old at the time of the application. (WES)

Experience.

Applicants must demonstrate that they have obtained work experience for at least 1 year (1,560 hours total / 30 hours per week), non-continuous, full-time or an equal amount in part-time, within the last 3 years that was for paid work (volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count)

In an occupation with the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) for high-skilled program – at skill type 0, or skill levels A, or B that was obtained overseas or obtained in Canada

To count, Canadian experience must have been obtained while the foreign national was authorized to work in Canada as a temporary resident.

Applicants do not have to be employed at the time they apply.

Work experience does not need to be continuous to qualify and can be accumulated within the previous 3 years. When calculating the period of 12 months of required employment, it cannot include periods of unemployment, prolonged sick leave or parental leave. However, a reasonable period of vacation time will be counted towards meeting the work experience requirement (such as, a 2-week period of paid vacation leave within a given 52-week period in which the applicant was engaged in qualifying work).

Any periods of self-employment will not be included when calculating the period of qualifying work experience.

Work experience acquired during a period of study is allowed, as long as the work hours did not exceed what they were authorized to do.