Nooshin Javanshir

Immigrate to PEI as a Worker

1.Critical Workers

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Critical Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) if you are currently working in PEI.  The PEI Critical Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill low-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to apply for the PEI Critical Worker stream you must:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in NOC skill level C or D in one of the following occupations: truck driver, customer service representative, labourer, food and beverage server, or housekeeping attendant;
• have worked a minimum of six months full-time for the PEI employer;
• have a valid work permit and legal status in Canada;
• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;
• possess a minimum education of secondary school;
• be between the ages of 21 and 59;
• have at least two years of full-time work experience or relevant education in the past  five years;
• provide a language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past  two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4;
• have sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) for you and your family to be able to establish in PEI; and
• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

2. International Graduates

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the International Graduate stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), if you graduated from an accredited PEI post secondary institution and are currently working in PEI.  The International Graduate stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to apply for the PEI International Graduate stream you must:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in NOC skill level  0, A, or B
• have worked a minimum of six months for the PEI employer in a position that is directly related to post-secondary education received in PEI;
• have a valid post-graduate work permit and legal status in Canada;
• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;
• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma (minimum  two year program) from a publically-funded PEI post-secondary institution;
• be between the ages of 21 and 59;
• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered;
• have sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) for you and your family to be able to establish in PEI; and
• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

3. PEI Express Entry

You can apply for a PEI Express Entry nomination for permanent residency through the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP).  Your nomination through PEI PNP will increase your chance of being issued an Invitation to Apply from the Federal Government. 

Am I eligible to apply?

To be eligible for nomination through PEI Express Entry, you must:

• meet the requirements of at least one of the Federal Economic Immigration programs:
• Federal Skilled Worker Program;
• Federal Skilled Trades Program; or
• Canadian Experience Class
• create a Federal Express Entry Profile and be placed in the pool of candidates.  You can create a profile at any time through IRCC).

There are two pathways to permanent residency through the PEI Express Entry Category, depending on if you have a job offer in PEI or not.  Priority will be given to applicants that are living and working in PEI.

4. Skilled Workers in PEI

You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Skilled Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP), if you are currently employed by an Island employer.  The Skilled Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill high-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to apply for the PEI Skilled Worker stream you must:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B
• have a valid work permit to be working in Canada;
• have legal status in country of residence;
• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;
• have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or diploma (minimum two year program);
• be between the ages of 21 and 59;
• have at least two years of full-time work experience in the past  five years;
• possess sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered.  Language ability can be verified by one of the following:
• a language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past  two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4; or
• Employer signed PEI PNP-L06 Employer Language Declaration; or
• documents from an internationally recognized institution indicating that the principal language studied was in English or French.
• have sufficient financial resources for the applicant and family to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) to be able to establish in PEI; and
• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

How do I apply?

If you meet all of the eligibility criteria listed above, you must read the Labour Application Guide  then you or your representative must create a profile in the Prince Edward Island Expression of Interest system.  To create a profile you will be asked to provide a valid email address, and identification information including your passport details.   Once your account has been verified, you will be able to proceed to complete your profile. Applicants can only have one active profile at any one time.

Your profile will remain active for a period of six months. You must ensure information provided in your profile is accurate and verifiable.  If your situation changes prior to being invited to apply, you may update your profile.  If your situation changes after being invited to apply you must contact the Office with the new information; this may impact the ultimate decision on your file. You can find additional information on the EOI points grid in the Labour Application Guide.

Important

An Expression of Interest is not an application, but an indication of your interest in being considered to apply to the PEI PNP Labour Impact Category. The Office reserves the right to limit intake or make exclusions from Expressions of Interest draws.  

If you are invited to apply you will receive an email notification that will include your file and instructions for submission of your file.  If you are invited to apply you must then complete the application forms.  Your employer must also complete the employer forms.

Important

Information provided in the Expression of Interest Profile must be valid and verifiable. The Office of Immigration will compare information provided in application with the Expression of Interest Profile, if there is a discrepancy it may affect your ability to apply.  Files that have been determined to contain misrepresentations may be ineligible to apply to the Office of Immigration for 2 years. 

5. Skilled Workers Outside Canada

 You can apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the Critical Worker stream of the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) if you are currently working in PEI.  The PEI Critical Worker stream is employer-driven, allowing Island employers to fill low-skilled positions that they are unable to fill through the local job market.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to apply for the PEI Critical Worker stream you must:

• have a full-time long-term (i.e. permanent or minimum of  two years) job offer from a PEI employer in NOC skill level C or Din one of the following occupations: truck driver, customer service representative, labourer, food and beverage server, or housekeeping attendant;
• have worked a minimum of six months full-time for the PEI employer;
• have a valid work permit and legal status in Canada;
• be able to attend an interview with staff from the Office, if required;
• possess a minimum education of secondary school;
• be between the ages of 21 and 59;
• have at least two years of full-time work experience or relevant education in the past  five years;
• provide a language test from an IRCC approved testing institute within the past  two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4;
• have sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) for you and your family to be able to establish in PEI; and
• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

How do I apply?

If you meet the eligibility criteria listed above you must first read the Labour Application Guide  then you or your representative must create a profile in the Prince Edward Island Expression of Interest system.  To create a profile you will be asked to provide a valid email address, and identification information including your passport details.   Once your account has been verified, you will be able to proceed to complete your profile. Applicants can only have one active profile at any one time.

Your profile will remain active for a period of six months. You must ensure information provided in your profile is accurate and verifiable.  If your situation changes prior to being invited to apply, you may update your profile.  If your situation changes after being invited to apply you must contact the Office with the new information; this may impact the ultimate decision on your file. You can find additional information on the EOI points grid in the Labour Application Guide.

Important

An Expression of Interest is not an application, but an indication of your interest in being considered to apply to the PEI PNP Labour Impact Category. The Office reserves the right to limit intake or make exclusions from Expressions of Interest draws.  

If you are invited to apply you will receive an email notification that will include your file and instructions for submission of your file.  If you are invited to apply you must complete the application forms.  Your employer must also complete the employer forms.

Important

Information provided in the Expression of Interest Profile must be valid and verifiable. The Office of Immigration will compare information provided in application with the Expression of Interest Profile, if there is a discrepancy it may affect your ability to apply.  Files that have been determined to contain misrepresentations may be ineligible to apply to the Office of Immigration for 2 years

Atlantic Immigration Pilot for Employers - Designation

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program is an employer-driven federal immigration pilot program designed to help you fill permanent labour shortages and skill gaps in your business by supporting foreign nationals for permanent residency.  There are three different streams which aim to address different needs.  The Atlantic High Skilled Program allows you to attract highly skilled individuals, the Atlantic Intermediate Skilled Program allows you to attract semi-skilled individuals, and the Atlantic International Graduate Program allows you to attract recent graduates from Atlantic Canada post-secondary institutions.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to participate in the Pilot you must be a designated employer.  To become a designated employer you must:

• Want to hire full-time, non-seasonal, international candidates
• Be in good standing with provincial and federal standards and legislation as per the program guidelines
• Demonstrate your preparedness to receive and meet the settlement needs of international candidate(s) and accompanying family members, and agree to do so
• Understand and agree to the reporting requirements for the program

What is the process?

The Pilot is a two-step process.  The first step is to become designated.  You will only need to be designated once, but you will be contacted annually by our office to update your file.  The second step is to identify international candidates that you would like to support through this program and submitting an endorsement application to our office. 

Atlantic Immigration Pilot For Employers – Endorsement

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program is an employer-driven federal immigration pilot program designed to help you fill permanent labour shortages and skill gaps in your business by supporting foreign nationals for permanent residency.  The Pilot is a two step process for employers, you must first become a designated employer and then submit a endorsement application for every foreign national you want to support through the program.

Am I eligible to endorse a foreign national?

To be eligible to endorse a foreign national you must be a designated employer.

What is the process?

You must first identify a foreign national that you want to endorse through the program and complete the job offer template

.  The foreign national must then approach an approved Settlement Service Provider

with a copy of their job offer and your designation letter and get a settlement plan prepared.  You must then submit the job offer, endorsement application, and settlement plan to their office.

On October 24, 2017, the age limit for dependents changed from “under 19” to “under 22.”

Minimum requirements

To qualify for the CEC through Express Entry, you must have:

• at least 12 months of skilled work experience in Canada, in the last three years (before you apply). The work was:
• full-time OR
• an equal amount in part-time
• gained your work experience in Canada with the proper authorization
• meet the required language levels needed for your job for each language ability
• writing
• reading
• listening
• speaking
• planned to live outside the province of Quebec

Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (such as on a co-op work term) doesn’t count under this program.

Note: The province of Quebec does not use Express Entry. They select their own skilled workers. See Quebec-selected skilled workers to find out more.

Skilled work experience

To be eligible for the CEC, you need to have Canadian skilled work experience within three years of applying. According to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC), skilled work experience means:

• Managerial jobs (NOC skill level 0)
• Professional jobs (NOC skill type A)
• Technical jobs and skilled trades (NOC skill type B)

Your experience must be at least

• 12 months of full-time work
• 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours), OR
• equal amount in part-time hours, such as:
• 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
• 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than one job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)

You must show that you did the duties set out in the occupational description in the NOC. This includes all the main duties listed.

Education

There is no education requirement for Canadian Experience Class. But you can earn points for your education under Express Entry, if:

• you went to school in Canada, and have a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
• secondary (high school) or
• post-secondary school
• you have foreign education, and you have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an approved agency showing that your foreign education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree  from a Canadian:
• secondary (high school) or
• post-secondary school

You'll only benefit from getting an ECA if your foreign education is equal to a completed Canadian high school diploma or greater.

Language ability

You must:

• meet the minimum language level of:
• Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for NOC 0 or A jobs OR
• Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for NOC B jobs
• take a language test approved by us that shows you meet the level for:
• writing
• reading
• listening
• speaking

You must show that you meet the requirements in English or French by including the test results when you complete your Express Entry profile. Your test results must not be more than two years old on the day you apply for permanent residence or you will need to retake the test.

Principal applicant

The person who is invited to apply and submits an application is the “principal applicant.” If you're married or live with a common-law foreign national partner in Canada, and that person also meets the requirements, either or both of you can fill out an Express Entry profile.

A common-law partner is a person who has lived with you in a marriage-like relationship for at least one year. Common-law partner refers to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

Other requirements

• You must be admissible to Canada
• You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec

On October 24, 2017, the age limit for dependents changed from “under 19” to “under 22.”

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

Minimum requirements

To be eligible, you must:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec (Note: The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers. If you plan on living in Quebec, see Quebec-selected skilled workers for more information),
• meet the required levels in English or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing and listening),
• have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply,
• meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), except for needing a certificate of qualification, and
• have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one yearor a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority.

Skilled work experience

Skilled Trades currently eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these major and minor groups of the NOC:

• Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades,
• Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades,
• Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production,
• Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators,
• Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks, and
• Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers.

These major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations. (All are NOC skill type B.)

You must show that you did the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC, including all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.

Federal Skilled Trades Program applications must be made based on the 2016 version of the NOC

Education

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if you want to earn points for your education under Express Entry, you either need:

• a Canadian post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree

Or

• a completed foreign credential, and
• an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an agency approved by CIC. [The report must show your foreign education is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.

Language ability

You must:

• meet the minimum language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for speaking and listening, and Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 for reading and writing, and

• take a language test approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that shows you meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Your test results must not be more than two years old on the day you apply for permanent residence.

Principal applicant

If you are married or live with a common-law partner who also meets the above conditions, you can decide which one of you will apply under Express Entry as the principal (main) applicant.

A common-law partner is a person who has lived with you in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. Common-law partner refers to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples.

Check to see which one of you is most likely to be found eligible. That person should apply as the principal applicant.

Other requirements

• You must be admissible to Canada.
• You must plan to live outside the province of Quebec.

Be assessed by the province or territory

You will likely have to go to the province or territory to be assessed. You may also need an employer in Canada to give you experience and training.

You should go to the website of the body that governs trades for the province/territory where you would like to live and work. The process is different depending on where you want to go.

Each website has more details about whether you need a certificate of qualification to work in that province or territory in a specific skilled trade, and what you have to do to get one.

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon