The Atlantic Immigration Program, commonly known as the AIP, is an employer-driven pathway to Canadian permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and eligible international graduates.

It allows qualified applicants to live and work in one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces:

• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island
• Newfoundland and Labrador

Unlike Express Entry, the Atlantic Immigration Program does not select applicants according to a Comprehensive Ranking System score. This makes it particularly relevant for skilled workers who have a low CRS score but can secure a qualifying job offer from a designated Atlantic Canadian employer.

The program is also valuable for international students who graduated from a recognized institution in Atlantic Canada. Eligible graduates may apply without completing the one year of work experience normally required from skilled-worker applicants.

The Atlantic Immigration Program remains open in 2026. Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets a target of 4,000 permanent resident admissions through the program in 2026, with an operational range of 3,000 to 5,000 admissions.

What Is the Atlantic Immigration Program?

The Atlantic Immigration Program is a permanent residence pathway designed to help employers in Atlantic Canada recruit qualified workers when they cannot fill positions locally.

It is not an Express Entry stream and does not require applicants to receive an Invitation to Apply based on a CRS cut-off. Instead, the process is built around a qualifying job offer, employer designation, a settlement plan and provincial endorsement.

To apply, a candidate must be either:

1. A skilled foreign worker with qualifying work experience; or
2. A recent international graduate from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada.

Candidates may be living outside Canada or may already be in Canada with valid temporary status. In both situations, they must obtain an eligible offer from an employer designated by one of the four Atlantic provinces.

Atlantic Immigration Program Eligibility at a Glance

A provincial endorsement is essential. A job offer alone does not make the candidate eligible to submit an Atlantic Immigration Program permanent residence application.

Job Offer Requirements Under the Atlantic Immigration Program

The job offer must come from an employer officially designated by New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador.

Each province maintains its own designation process. An employer designated in one province cannot automatically use that designation to hire an AIP candidate for a position in another Atlantic province.

The job offer must be:

• Full-time, meaning at least 30 hours per week
• Paid
• Non-seasonal
• Located in an Atlantic province
• For a position the applicant is qualified and willing to perform
• At the appropriate TEER level compared with the applicant’s qualifying experience

For a job in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, the offer must last for at least one year from the date the applicant becomes a permanent resident.

For a TEER 4 occupation, the offer must be for permanent employment with no fixed end date. The offer cannot come from a business in which the applicant or their spouse or common-law partner is a majority owner.

Job Offer and Work-Experience TEER Matching

This matching rule is important. A candidate cannot assume that any previous job will support any Atlantic Canadian job offer. The previous work must be related and must meet the program’s TEER relationship requirements.

Work-Experience Requirements for Skilled Foreign Workers

A skilled foreign worker generally needs at least 1,560 hours of qualifying work experience during the five years before applying.

This is equivalent to working 30 hours per week for one year. The hours must be accumulated over a period of at least 12 months.

Qualifying experience must:

• Be paid
• Match the lead statement and most main duties of the selected NOC
• Be in an eligible TEER category
• Meet the required relationship with the job offer
• Have been legally obtained if the work was performed in Canada
• Not be self-employment

Volunteer positions and unpaid internships do not count.

Applicants should obtain detailed employment letters showing their dates of employment, weekly hours, salary, benefits and actual job duties. Contracts, pay statements, tax documents and previous work permits can provide additional evidence.

Special Rules for International Graduates

International graduates may be exempt from the 1,560-hour work-experience requirement.

To qualify for the exemption, the graduate must have completed a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship credential that:

• Required at least two years of study
• Came from a recognized post-secondary institution in an Atlantic province
• Was received less than two years before the permanent residence application
• Was completed while the applicant was a full-time student

The graduate must also have lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months during the final two years before graduation and held the required authorization to study, work or receive training in Canada.

The exemption is not available when at least half of the program involved distance learning or English or French as a second language. It can also be unavailable when the applicant received a scholarship or fellowship requiring them to return to their home country after graduation.

Being exempt from work experience does not remove the other requirements. International graduates still need a designated-employer job offer, language results, qualifying education, a settlement plan and provincial endorsement.

Language Requirements

Applicants must take an IRCC-approved English or French language test.

The minimum language requirement depends on the TEER category of the job offer:

The minimum score must be achieved in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Results must be less than two years old when the permanent residence application is submitted.

Accepted English tests include IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General and PTE Core. Accepted French tests include TEF Canada and TCF Canada.

These thresholds are lower than those required by several other federal economic immigration programs. However, meeting the minimum does not necessarily make a candidate competitive for employment. Stronger workplace communication skills can improve both recruitment prospects and long-term settlement.

Education Requirements

Education requirements also depend on the TEER category of the job offer.

Applicants educated outside Canada must obtain an Educational Credential Assessment showing that their foreign qualification is equivalent to the required Canadian credential.

The ECA must be for immigration purposes and less than five years old when the applicant applies. Some regulated professions, including medicine, pharmacy and architecture, require assessment through a profession-specific organization.

An ECA confirms the Canadian equivalency of education. It does not provide a professional licence or guarantee that the person can work in a regulated occupation.

Atlantic Immigration Program Proof of Funds

Applicants must normally show that they have enough money to support themselves and their family after arriving in Canada.

Proof of funds is not required when the applicant is already working in Canada with a valid work permit.

The currently published minimum amounts are:

Family size includes the principal applicant, spouse or common-law partner and dependent children, including family members who are not accompanying the applicant to Canada.

The funds must be legally accessible and available both when the application is filed and when the permanent resident visa is issued. Borrowed money and equity in real property cannot be used as settlement funds.

Settlement Plan and Provincial Endorsement

After accepting a qualifying offer, the candidate must obtain an individualized settlement plan from an approved service provider.

The plan can cover areas such as:

• Housing
• Employment integration
• Language support
• Healthcare
• Education for children
• Banking and financial services
• Community resources

The settlement assessment and plan are provided free of charge. A settlement organization does not find employment for the applicant; its role is to assess settlement needs and recommend support.

The candidate gives the completed plan to the employer. The employer then submits the job offer and settlement plan to the provincial government for endorsement.

When the province approves the endorsement application, it issues a Certificate of Endorsement. The candidate includes this certificate in the permanent residence application submitted to IRCC.

Atlantic Immigration Program Application Process

The AIP process generally follows these steps:

Step 1: Confirm Your Eligibility

Identify your correct NOC and TEER category. Review your work experience, education, language ability and available settlement funds.

Step 2: Find a Designated Employer

Search the official provincial lists of designated employers and apply directly for genuine vacancies.

The Atlantic Immigration Program does not provide a job-matching service. Being listed as a designated employer does not necessarily mean the company is currently hiring.

Step 3: Receive an Eligible Job Offer

The employer provides its confirmation of designation and the completed Offer of Employment to a Foreign National form.

Step 4: Complete the Settlement Plan

Work with an approved settlement organization and provide the plan to the employer.

Step 5: Obtain Provincial Endorsement

The employer applies to the relevant province to have the offer endorsed.

Step 6: Apply for Permanent Residence

After receiving the Certificate of Endorsement, submit the complete permanent residence application to IRCC.

Step 7: Apply for a Work Permit, When Appropriate

Eligible candidates may apply for an optional temporary work permit while the permanent residence application is processed.

Atlantic Immigration Program vs Express Entry

The AIP may be suitable for applicants who cannot reach a competitive Express Entry CRS score but have skills needed by an Atlantic employer.

Its main limitation is that a designated-employer job offer is compulsory. Applicants cannot create an independent profile and wait for the federal government to select them.

Final Takeaway

The Atlantic Immigration Program provides a practical route to Canada PR for skilled foreign workers and international graduates who can secure employment in Atlantic Canada.

Its main advantages are the absence of CRS-based ranking, relatively accessible language thresholds, inclusion of TEER 4 positions and a work-experience exemption for eligible Atlantic graduates.

However, it remains an employer-driven program. The strongest candidates are those who identify the correct NOC, approach verified designated employers, document their experience carefully and prepare their language, education and settlement documents before receiving an offer.

For international graduates, the timing of the application is especially important because the credential must have been obtained less than two years before the permanent residence application. For overseas workers, the priority should be finding genuine employment that matches both their experience and the program’s TEER requirements.