Forward Regulatory Plan: 2021 to 2023
Regulations for the Atlantic Immigration Program

Enabling Act: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Description

The objective of these new regulations is to support the Government’s commitment to make the Atlantic Immigration Program a permanent program, per the mandate letter of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The pilot was launched through Ministerial Instruction, under section 14.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and was published in the Canada Gazette on March 6, 2017.

The objective of the program is to help address acute economic and demographic challenges faced in the Atlantic region, through economic immigration. The program, like the pilot, will aim to address these challenges through increased employer participation, enhanced settlement supports, and a partnership between the Department and the Atlantic provinces.

Regulatory cooperation efforts (domestic and international)

Regulatory cooperation efforts are not required

Potential impacts on Canadians, including businesses

The proposed regulatory change would have an impact on employers in the Atlantic region and foreign nationals, many of whom apply to the program to enter Canada as economic immigrants.

Consultations

The public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed text of the regulations when they are pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part 1. The Department will continue to consult the Atlantic Provinces’ ministries of immigration, and other stakeholders (e.g. employers, settlement provider organizations).

Further Information

Ministerial Instructions 23 (MI23): Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Atlantic Growth Strategy - Year 2 Report
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Mandate Letter
Evaluation of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot

Departmental Contact Information

Lara Dyer
Director, Regional Economic Immigration, Immigration Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Email: Lara.Dyer@cic.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-437-8617

Date the regulatory initiative was first included in the Forward Regulatory Plan: October 18, 2020