AIPP: A Love Story - Atlantic Business Magazine
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AIPP: A Love Story
Is the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program the answer for New Brunswick
companies short of workers? The relationship is too new to tell
BY STEPHANIE GOUGH
MALLEY PHOTOS BY KAYLA MALLEY
An Australian walks into New Brunswick—and he’s looking for a job. Have
you heard this one? Now, this is a province facing some serious challenges—a
critical shortage of skilled workers, not to mention ageing demographics and
a shrinking population. This guy is young, he’s got a new Canadian girl-
friend, he’s in love, he wants to move here. And he needs a job.
3 2 J A N U A RY/ F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9
It is summer 2018, and as luck
would have it, Dieppe’s Malley Indus-
tries has a position open for a metal
fabricator. So, this guy—Jacob Lind-
gren, he applies. Malley Industries runs
him through their competency test to
see if he can do the work. He can. They
offer him a job. It’s all working out.
Just have to get his work papers.
Kathy Malley, the company’s VP,
is told the Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Program (AIPP), a new fast track
to permanent residency for foreign
workers, would be the quickest way to
do this: “It was deemed the road of least
resistance.”
She starts the process. Step one:
Malley Industries has to qualify as a
designated employer. There is a fair
amount of paperwork—an expression
of interest, followed by the employer
designation application. Once these are
submitted, Malley and Lindgren begin
his provincial endorsement application.
They learn a pre-endorsement needs
assessment and a settlement plan are
You’ve never experienced
required so they work with Moncton’s
multicultural association to get those in a cyber attack?
place.
There is more paperwork—an offer Let’s keep it that way.
of employment to a foreign national, a
detailed job description and supporting
documents, evidence of at least one Cyber attacks are happening more and more frequently in all
month of job postings, an employment
workplaces across Atlantic Canada. At Grant Thornton LLP, our
contract, proof of candidate status, and
the lengthy endorsement application cybersecurity team can help defend your business against
itself. “Every time a round of paperwork an attack and advise you how to respond if one should occur.
would be filled in, I’d think, okay this
Let’s start the conversation about cybersecurity in your
is it. I’ve done the 15-page application,
put the same code number in, business workplace. Contact the Grant Thornton advisor nearest you.
number, name of employee, job descrip- New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador
tion, letter of offer, put it all in again,
Mike Robart Adam Lippa
then we’d get a notice saying, ‘Now that
you’ve done this…’” says Malley. She T +1 506 858 2510 T +1 709 778 8842
calculates she has now put 30 hours into E Mike.Robart@ca.gt.com E Adam.Lippa@ca.gt.com
the process.
Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island
Summer drags on. In late August, New
Brunswick endorses Jacob Lindgren Jeff Merrick Kathy O’Rourke
and his application is forwarded to T +1 902 420 7197 T +1 902 566 6327
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship E Jeff.Merrick@ca.gt.com E Kathy.ORourke@ca.gt.com
Canada (IRCC). Malley and Lindgren
sit back and wait for a reply. It arrives grantthornton.ca/cybersecurity
a month later: as Lindgren’s working
holiday visa expired that spring, there
is a high chance his application will
be denied. “They were going to refuse
him!” says Malley. Audit | Tax | Advisory
Malley and Lindgren had fallen down
the rabbit hole into the world of immi-
gration.
© 2018 Grant Thornton LLP. A Canadian Member of Grant Thornton International Ltd. All rights reserved.
Less than an hour away, Blair and
Rosalyn Hyslop of Sussex’s Mrs.
Dunster’s are also navigating the
AT L A N T I C B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E .CO M | 3 3
A IP P
AIPP process for the first time. But
where Malley Industries has just one The AIPP is an offshoot of the 2016
unfilled position, Mrs. Dunster’s liter- Atlantic Growth Strategy, a joint initia-
ally has a baker’s dozen. Since the couple tive of the federal government and the
purchased the business in 2014, expan- Atlantic provinces to boost the regional
sion has seen them grow at 35 per cent economy. A key pillar is building a
annually, and employee numbers have skilled workforce and increasing immi-
exploded from just 75 to 250 people. gration. Launched in March 2017, the
Even so, Mrs. Dunster’s is just barely AIPP aims to bring in 7,000 newcomers
keeping up with orders. The company to the region by 2020. It is open to three
urgently needs qualified bakers, line subsets of applicants: high- and interme-
operators and mixers. Staffing short- diate skilled workers and international
ages are forcing the Hyslops to pass graduates of Atlantic Canadian univer-
on opportunities for further growth. sities and colleges, along with their fami-
“Honestly, we have been down all year, lies. As it’s an employer-driven program,
and it’s hard to grow when you can AIPP candidates must have a full-time,
Rosalyn and Blair Hyslop, co-owners just barely keep up with the orders you non-seasonal job offer from a designated
of Mrs. Dunster’s in Sussex, N.B., are have,” says Rosalyn. employer in order to apply. Although
in desperate need of qualified bakers, In the four years the Hyslops have employers are required to prove their
line operators and mixers. Staffing owned the business, it has been increas- inability to fill positions locally, they
shortages are forcing them to pass on do not have to obtain a Labour Market
ingly difficult to find qualified workers,
opportunities for further growth.
despite constant advertising. This is Impact Assessment, a feature intended
especially true for their rural facilities to speed up the process.
in Sussex. Training staff was never an Candidate requirements are not
option, according to Blair, who says overly stringent per se. At the bottom
none of the culinary schools in Atlantic of the scale, a high school diploma is all
Canada offer a part-time program suit- that is needed in terms of education for
able for a work/study arrangement. C level workers, a skill category that
That spring, the Hyslops heard about includes food and beverage servers.
AIPP and decided to give it a try. They Individual applicants must show they
hired HR consultant Sherri Deveau to have the nominal amount of $3,118
help them with recruitment, and she as proof of funds to see them through
found four qualified candidates straight their first months in Canada (although
away. In June, the Hyslops submitted their visa processing fees will cost them
their application for designated employer another $1,040). To increase immi-
status. They received it three months gration retention rates, the AIPP also
later. has a built-in settlement component
Alex LeBlanc, executive director of the “This was part of the frustration. that places the onus on the employer
New Brunswick Multicultural Association, You really need people, you’ve identi- to support the candidate’s integra-
says the province is on track to lose over
fied qualified people and interviewed tion in the community with the aid of
110,000 workers in the next seven years
while only 76,000 students will graduate them, and you are ready to bring them settlement provider organizations. This
from high school in the same period. over, just to have three months go by may include providing assistance in
to process the initial application,” says finding housing, with transportation, in
Blair. accessing services such as health care or
It’s now early fall, and Kathy Malley with school registration.
is preparing to take on Ottawa, while
Jacob Lindgren’s future remains uncer-
tain. “If I was a different kind of person,
I probably would have said it’s not worth As September comes to an end,
it. But when I get mad, I get moving, and Malley is still grappling with the conun-
I was not willing to let this go,” she says. drum of Jacob Lindgren’s expired work
Meanwhile, the Hyslops are working permit. “Everybody’s on board and
on the endorsement application for all of a sudden, you’ve hit a brick wall
their first AIPP candidate, a baker that there’s no way through and no way
from the Philippines. Their frustra- around. You have to start from square
tion is mounting. “Even then, we found one and go down a different path,” she
ourselves trying to justify that we says. “So thus went the whole rigmarole
needed the positions. This makes sense of reapplying a different way.”
Kathy Malley, VP of Malley Industries,
says the federal and provincial in a normal environment, but when we Malley works with an IRCC employer
employees she’s dealt with around have a regional growth strategy and liaison officer to explore Lindgren’s
the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project we create a program that is designed options. The officer suggests Lindgren
have been “very accommodating, specifically to bring in immigrants to apply for a new temporary work permit,
helpful and encouraging.” Her issue is deal with shortages of skilled workers, but says he must leave the country in order
with the system itself. “It is so flawed,
having to go through the burden of to do so. Could he possibly go to New
cumbersome and fraught with hidden
‘full stops’. It amazes me that anyone has proving you’ve advertised all over again York? For Kathy Malley, it’s the last straw.
the fortitude to stick with it.” seems redundant,” says Blair. “I thought, for heaven’s sake, the
3 4 J A N U A RY/ F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9
30.9%
guy’s here! Am I going to send him to had the unfortunate distinction of being
New York? It doesn’t make sense,” she the only province with a shrinking popu-
says. “Why is there a law that prohibits lation. A November 2018 report by the
applying for a work permit from within New Brunswick Multicultural Council
Canada? And why is there this dead- (NBMC) says the province is on track to Percentage of Atlantic
lock at the end of the temporary work lose 110,200 workers by 2026, and that Canadians expected to
permit? There is this tight little window only a dramatic increase in immigration be 65 or older by 2035
to renew, and boy, once you pass that, will mitigate the labour market crisis.
that’s it. Bob’s your uncle, you’re out. For NBMC, this means welcoming 7,500
Why are we making it so difficult for newcomers per year, equivalent to one
people to get through the system? I said per cent of the provincial population—
50%
to myself there’s probably not enough nearly double the current intake.
time left in my career to fight this, but “I find it striking that many people
I’m going to do it anyway. Businesses in our region still don’t see the urgency
struggle enough to find workers.” for immigration, even as their taxes
Down in Sussex, the Hyslops are increase and businesses, schools and Atlantic Canadian small to
considering making additional offers in other institutions are closing their medium-sized enterprises
India and the Philippines for two more doors. Ironically, if we want things to that had trouble finding
bakers and four line operators. They are stay as they are in our communities, workers in the past year
told they can expect their first baker things will have to change,” says NBMC
in early summer of 2019—if all goes executive director Alex LeBlanc.
well. “To put that into context, it will Policies for youth retention are no
be a year from the time we identified longer enough, says LeBlanc. Over
110,200
an immediate need to when they start the same period in which New Bruns-
working. It is a real challenge to plan wick will lose more than 110,000 of
that far ahead and to understand what its workers, only 76,000 students will
our needs are going to be a year from graduate from its high schools. “It’s
now. It is challenging when you need critical that we socialize the need for Number of workers
people right away and it is holding you much higher levels of immigration so New Brunswick is
back,” says Blair. “There must be some our communities, employers and institu- expected to lose by 2026
way to streamline the process.” tions are prepared to do business differ-
Rosalyn says that a three- to four- ently moving forward,” he says.
month process would be ideal for their Meanwhile, a report released in
needs: “We are very excited to be part September 2018 by Business Development
7,000
of the program. It is a great idea, and it Bank of Canada (BDC) lends credence
is going to help a lot of businesses. But to the claims of Atlantic Canada’s small
if they could just speed it up a little bit.” businesses that critical labour scarcity is
Kathy Malley manages to get permis- not some dystopic future scenario, but a
sion for Lindgren to file his new appli- crushing reality in the present. Nearly
Number of newcomers
cation from New Brunswick. It’s a small 50 per cent of Atlantic Canadian SMEs the AIPP hopes to
victory, but a victory nonetheless. Still, surveyed had trouble finding workers attract by 2020
as the saga unfolds, Malley Industries in the previous 12 months, making the
is required to continue looking for region the most hard hit in the country
someone else to fill the position. in terms of worker shortages. Further-
more, BDC found firms affected by short-
ages are 65 per cent more likely to be
low-growth companies.
Worker scarcity has long
been identified as a looming apocalypse
by the governments of Atlantic Canada.
The region has the nation’s oldest popu- Sherri Deveau, whose Moncton-
lation and its lowest birth rate, as well based company Practical Human Resource
as high levels of outmigration in many Solutions is assisting Mrs. Dunster’s and
areas. A 2017 Conference Board of other clients across the province with
Canada report said nearly 20 per cent AIPP applications and recruitment, says
of Atlantic Canadians were over the age worker shortages are nothing new. “There
of 65 in 2016, and predicted this figure are many, many companies in New Bruns-
would rise to 30.9 per cent by 2035. wick struggling to find people. It’s some-
Add to this the growing wave of retiring thing that’s been happening over the last
baby boomers, and we are looking at a five or six years, but it’s just getting more
very sharp decline in the region’s work- and more difficult. People who have never
force over the next decade. This begs a thought about foreign recruitment are
few critical questions: namely, how will now recognizing that this is the answer for
our economy grow and who is going to them. It’s automation or immigration, in
pay for health care? my view, and neither option will be quick,
In the 2016 census, New Brunswick easy or inexpensive.”
AT L A N T I C B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E .CO M | 3 5
A IP P
Deveau agrees the AIPP has its chal- experience, depending on getting all
lenges, but feels these are par for the the background checks, certifications,
course for a pilot program, and that licensing and all that confirmed, is
the AIPP is less lengthy and expensive between six and eight months from the
than other programs she has used in the time someone applies with us and we
past. The main complaint she hears from actually get them here in the Atlantic
clients is not about the amount of paper- provinces.”
work involved, but the amount of time it
takes to bring workers in. “People may
not find the AIPP as fast as they would
like, and I agree. But I don’t think there So an Australian walks into
is any fast program available. It would New Brunswick, with nothing but an
be nice if there were.” expired work permit in his back pocket.
Mike Albert of Saint John’s Cirrus You’ve heard this one, right? Then, he
Sherri Deveau, owner of Practical
Garment says he founded his company meets a woman named Kathy Malley,
Human Resource Solutions, helps
companies across New Brunswick find in 2016 because he knew the AIPP was who needs a metal fabricator.
their way through the AIPP application in the pipeline. Otherwise, he would As of October, 2018, a year and a half
process. She says this pilot project have passed on the opportunity as the into the three-year AIPP, there were 1,484
works better than some others she has highly specialized sewing skills he needs employers across Atlantic Canada with
dealt with in the past. are nearly impossible to find in Canada. AIPP designation, according to IRCC
Today, Cirrus Garment has 31 employees, spokesperson Rémi Larivière. Provincial
half of whom arrived via the AIPP. governments had endorsed 2,801 candi-
“I think it is an absolute necessity dates and 1,411 permanent residency
to have a program like this in Atlantic applications had been filed, along with
Canada. It helps drive our population 1,504 work permit applications. Of these,
growth. It helps us find employment that 734 had been approved. Including their
otherwise would not exist and it helps family members, this represented some
employers who are having a hard time 1,562 newcomers to the region.
staffing certain positions. This has been But none of these successful appli-
the only way we’ve been able to create cants was Jacob Lindgren.
this growth opportunity,” says Albert. Lindgren was the proverbial square
Getting to know the AIPP process is a peg in the AIPP scheme, and for Kathy
long learning curve, he adds, but it does Malley, this just did not make sense.
get better: “For the first few candidates, “Somebody has decided that you can
we were learning as we went, but now it’s come to Canada for work or you can
According to Mark Osborne, VP of a known process that we follow systemat- come for travel, but you can’t do both.
human resources for Hartland’s Day & ically. We understand the program better You cannot come to this country, travel
Ross Freight, the company was having and it’s much easier to find people.” around, decide you like it and you want
problems recruiting workers—until Cirrus Garment has taken advantage to stay. To me, that is logical. But there
they started working with the Atlantic
of the AIPP’s temporary work permit is no legal way to do that.”
Immigration Pilot Project. At the end of
2018, they had 18 AIPP workers in place, option, which allows candidates to first On November 1, Malley got an email
from as far away as India and Cuba. apply for a one-year permit if jobs need from Jacob Lindgren, asking her to call
to be filled urgently. This way, applicants him. She thinks, oh my God, some-
and their families can come to Canada thing’s wrong. But when she calls, Lind-
sooner and apply for permanent residence gren can hardly contain his excitement:
from here. “Still, it takes months,” says “I got it! I got it!” He does have to leave
Albert, “depending on the candidate and the country to activate his new tempo-
on the country they are coming from.” rary work permit, but only briefly. The
Hartland’s Day & Ross Freight was next day, he crosses the border. The
another early AIPP adopter. With 10 following week, he starts work.
additional drivers coming in at the end When Malley seeks him out on the
of 2018, the transport company now production floor of Malley Industries
has 18 AIPP workers, including three to congratulate him, she reminds him to
IT professionals from India and Cuba, begin his application for permanent resi-
who live and work in Hartland with dency straight away. Yes, he says, just as
their families. VP of Human Resources soon as he is able to work and save up
Mark Osborne says the AIPP has helped some money for the language test. “He
Day & Ross address shortages in talent has to prove he can speak English. The
There were a lot of starts and stops
on Jacob Lindgren’s journey through
resulting not only from a general dearth guy is from Australia! I just want to
the AIPP application process, but of drivers in North America, but also put my head through a wall, it’s so frus-
on November 1, 2018 he was finally from the rural location of their head- trating,” says Malley.
approved for a temporary work permit. quarters, where it is a challenge to
The only thing holding him back from recruit staff and get them to stay.
permanent residency status? This Wait times for Day & Ross’ AIPP FEEDBACK
Australian has to prove he can speak
English.
workers have varied, says Osborne, * dchafe@atlanticbusinessmagazine.com
but “the process end-to-end, in our a @AtlanticBus; #AIPP
3 6 J A N U A RY/ F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9
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