CIMM – Economic Immigration (Regional) – October 24, 2023

Key Facts and Figures

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) welcomed over 88,250 provincial nominees and their families in 2022 and has welcomed over 82,830 between January and August 2023. PNP admissions increased by almost 1000% between 2005 and 2022.
Initially launched as a pilot in 2017, the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) transitioned to a permanent program in 2022. The AIP admitted a total of over 19,500 individuals into the Atlantic region.
On September 23, 2022, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) was extended until August 2024. As of August 2023, 3,456 individuals have arrived under the RNIP.

Regional economic programs are playing an increasing role in annual admissions, and address the goal for the benefits of immigration to be shared across Canada, including through pathways such as:
- The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) provides provinces and territories (PTs) a means to address their economic development needs and distributes the benefits of immigration across Canada. PTs are responsible for the design and implementation of their PNP streams.
- The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates from an Atlantic Canadian institution who want to work and live in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces.
- The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), introduced in 2019, uses a community-based economic development approach with the aim to support 11 partnered rural or remote communities located in northern Ontario and western Canada.

Regional programs can be leveraged to have skilled worker and/or international graduate fill critical labour shortages, including in the health care sector.

2024-02-09