HALIFAX — A new report says more people are immigrating to Atlantic Canada than ever before.
The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council report says the number of immigrants reached a record 8,300 in 2015.
And the Halifax-based independent research institution says 11,600 immigrants came to Atlantic Canada in the first nine months of 2016, due in part to an influx of Syrian refugees.
David Chaundy, author of the report, attributes the overall increase to expanded use of provincial nominee programs.
But Chaundy says retention rates for Atlantic Canada are low, and lengthy processing times are a barrier for greater use of immigration in the business community.
He says although express entry applications are being processed within six months, provincial nominee applications are taking up to 16 months to be processed by the federal government.
