Atlantic Immigrant Career Loan Fund (AICLF)

The purpose of the AICLF is to assist internationally trained immigrants by providing micro-loans to to overcome financial barriers so that they can:

• Practice their occupation, regulated or unregulated
• Find opportunities in a related field
• Change career to adjust to labour market needs.

To be eligible for the Atlantic Immigrant Career Loan Fund (AICLF), you must:

• Be an immigrant with Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status
• Live in Atlantic Canada (NS, NB, PEI or NL)
• To successfully complete your studies and certification you must have the required English or French skills
• Not have an undischarged bankruptcy
• If living outside of N.S., you should have an employment specialist working with you from your local settlement agency.
• You must have completed post-secondary education or training outside of Canada.

* If your program or training is eligible for a Government Student Loan program, it may not be eligible for AICLF. Exceptions apply.

The AICLF may pay for:

• Registration fees
• Licensing and examination fees
• Training, tuition fees, related text books or online resources
• Travel and accommodation expenses to complete exams and courses
• Work tools

• Interest rate is RBC prime rate plus 1%
• The average loan is $15,000, but larger amounts are available
• Participants only pay interest on the funds they withdraw
• During a study period participants pay interest only
• During the six month grace period participants still pay interest only
• Principal + interest payments begin in repayment period
• As funds are withdrawn, the loan is capped and reduced**If client moves out of Atlantic Canada, the loan goes into repayment

**If client leaves the country, loan is payable in full

** Loan can be paid out sooner without penalty

While in study and grace period, client pays interest only: Yearly interest = Amount x interest rate

To check the current RBC prime interest rate contact your local branch or visit their website.

If you have already watched our introduction video and passed our eligibility questionnaire, it is now time to learn more about the application process and contact us at info@aiclf.ca to apply for the loan.

Newcomers might have challenges accessing a private bank loan, as they do not have a Canadian credit history yet. If you are not eligible for a Government student loan program and cannot access a private bank loan, you might be eligible for the AICLF.

Yes. The AICLF is designed to help foreign-trained immigrants secure positions in a related field or respond to market opportunities by switching fields.

No. If you want to pursue training to practice an unregulated occupation, you are still eligible for the AICLF if you meet the other eligibility criteria, including having completed your post-secondary education or training outside of Canada.

An AICLF microloan requires no collateral, no previous credit history, no current employment, and can be paid back in full early without penalty. It also comes with full support services from ISANS or your local settlement agency.