As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

In light of the challenges in retention, that Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada work in collaboration with provincial governments to increase the share of newcomers to the Atlantic Provinces and to adequately fund the infrastructure needs and support services for the immigrant community in Atlantic Canada.

Recommendation 2

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada work with the Atlantic Provinces to ensure adequate provision of settlement services to attract and retain newcomers to these areas.

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada, in collaboration with Atlantic Provinces and stakeholders, consider predicted labour shortages in all skill levels when planning and delivering their immigration related policies and programs.

Recommendation 4

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, in collaboration with the Atlantic Provinces, improve programs tailored to address francophone immigrant recruitment, including outreach campaigns specifically aimed toward countries with French as an official language; to develop strategies for integration and retention needs specific to the different contexts of francophone minority communities; to revise the applicant requirements for provinces so that the percentage of francophone or francophile applicants selected is targeted to the percentage of francophones in each provinces; and to develop an evaluation and accountability framework to measure progress achieved and ensure attainment of immigration objectives in these communities.

Recommendation 5

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada better ensure that funding is made available to settlement services and language training in French in the region to improve the sustainability of the region’s French communities.

Recommendation 6

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada take into consideration the other pillars of the Atlantic Growth Strategy, namely innovation, infrastructure, clean growth and climate change, and trade and investments, when implementing immigration policy under the Atlantic Growth Strategy in order to more effectively respond to labour demand in Atlantic Canada.

Recommendation 7

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada take the immigration lifecycle of recruitment, processing, settlement and retention, into consideration when implementing immigration policy and programs under the Atlantic Growth Strategy.

Recommendation 8

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, with the Atlantic Provinces, annually evaluate the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program; ensure that the process is harmonized, simplified and expedited for Atlantic Canadian business applicants; and provide the Committee with details of the new process.

Recommendation 9

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada digitize the application process for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.

Recommendation 10

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada model the service level standards, including processing times, for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program on those currently existing for Express Entry, for which expected processing times now stand at less than six months.

Recommendation 11

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, allow international students in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program and those who have been recruited by a designated employer under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program to access settlement services once they have started the permanent residency application process.

Recommendation 12

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, work with relevant stakeholders to issue work permits to students that are valid throughout their study program in Atlantic Canada, including co-op terms, and issue post graduate work permits valid for five years in Atlantic Canada.

Recommendation 13

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada work with the provinces to streamline their processes to facilitate the transition from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program to become permanent residents.

Recommendation 14

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada consider under its Refugee Resettlement Program ways to bring extended family members of currently settled refugees with skill sets in demand for immediate resettlement to the Atlantic region.

Recommendation 15

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada work alongside the Atlantic Provinces, regulatory agencies and trade unions to simplify recognition of foreign qualifications in the region.

Recommendation 16

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada adapt current programs to make room for candidates with job skills classified as National Occupational Classification C or D to address the needs of Atlantic Canada including sectors such as agriculture, construction, fisheries, hospitality and transportation.

Recommendation 17

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada work with Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Global Affairs Canada to finance a recruitment campaign to attract immigration to the Atlantic Provinces, and evaluate on a regular basis if the campaign is successful.

Recommendation 18

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada work in partnership with its provincial counterparts, municipal partners, settlement service providers, multi-ethnic organizations, employers and other stakeholders to develop and implement a coordinated settlement strategy for Atlantic Canada.

Recommendation 19

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada facilitate access by employers of best practices in settlement services and recognize the ability of local settlement agencies to provide settlement plans to employers within the framework developed for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.

Recommendation 20

That the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada continue to allocate additional immigration to Atlantic Canada, as proposed by the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, in order to create conditions in which Atlantic Canada can enjoy population growth at the national average.

Recommendation 21

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reopen and re-staff the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship offices in Atlantic Canada, which were closed or downsized on June 1^st, 2012, and look to Atlantic Canada as a preferred location for future increases to the department’s footprint.

Recommendation 22

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, in cooperation with Canadian Heritage, review the funding model for service provider organizations to include diversity education that supports inclusion.

Recommendation 23

That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada perform a gender-based analysis of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program and develop targets to set a standard for gender equality.

Recommendation 24

That a committee of the House of Commons conduct a formal review of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program after March 2020, to assess whether retention and immigration levels to the Atlantic region improved under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, and whether the pilot should be offered as a new immigration program nationally.