Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) 2026: Requirements and Steps

As of November 7, 2026.

Canada's 2027-2029 levels plan sets a target of 6,000 admissions a year for the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), up from 4,000 a year in the 2026-2028 plan. IRCC's processing-time data, updated October 9, 2026, puts the wait for a permanent residence decision at about 26 months, with about 11,500 people waiting. The program is growing, and it is slow. Plan for both.

This guide explains what the AIP is, who qualifies, what each province has open right now, and how the file moves from job offer to PR.

What is the Atlantic Immigration Program?

The AIP is an employer-driven pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates of Atlantic institutions. It covers four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. You can be abroad or in Canada as a temporary resident.

Three approvals come in a fixed order: a job offer from a designated employer, a provincial endorsement, and then your PR application to IRCC.

It suits you if you already have, or can realistically get, a full-time job offer from an Atlantic employer that the province has designated. It suits recent Atlantic graduates, who can skip the work experience rule. It suits you less if you have no employer lined up.

Who qualifies for the Atlantic Immigration Program?

IRCC's eligibility page lists six things:

• A valid job offer from a designated employer.
• Qualifying work experience, unless you recently graduated from a recognized Atlantic institution.
• The right level of education for the job.
• Approved language test results.
• Enough money to support yourself and your family, unless you already work in Canada on a valid work permit.
• A settlement plan from a service provider organization.

The sections below cover each one.

What job offer do you need?

Under IRCC's job offer rules, the offer must be:

• Full-time, at least 30 hours a week.
• Non-seasonal: consistent and paid all year.
• For at least 1 year from the day you become a permanent resident (TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3), or for permanent employment with no set end date (TEER 4).
• At the same or higher skill level than your qualifying work experience.

The offer cannot come from a company in which you, your spouse or your common-law partner are a majority owner. After the employer confirms its designation, it gives you a copy of that confirmation and an Offer of Employment form (IMM 0157).

IRCC's candidate pages state no minimum wage. Nova Scotia's endorsement guide says wages must fall within the federal range for the occupation in that region.

Health-care experience gets one flexibility. Work as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse can support an offer as a nurse aide (NOC 33102) or a home support worker (NOC 44101).

How much work experience?

You need at least 1,560 hours of related, paid work in the past 5 years. That equals 30 hours a week for 1 year, and you must have worked those hours over at least 1 year. IRCC adds these conditions:

• Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count.
• Canadian work counts only if you held a valid work permit.
• Self-employment does not count.
• The work must cover most of the main duties of the NOC.
• The experience TEER must match the offer's TEER or be a higher number. A TEER 2 offer accepts experience in TEER 2, 3 or 4. A TEER 4 offer accepts only TEER 4.

Proof is usually a reference letter showing dates, duties, hours per week and salary, backed by pay stubs or T4s.

International graduates skip this rule if they meet every condition IRCC lists. The program took at least 2 years. It came from a recognized post-secondary institution in one of the four Atlantic provinces (see IRCC's list of institutions). You received the credential less than 2 years before applying for PR. You studied full-time throughout, lived in an Atlantic province for at least 16 of the 24 months before you graduated, and held the visa or permit you needed. Programs where English or French as a second language was at least half the content do not count. Neither do programs that were at least half distance learning, or studies under a scholarship that requires you to return home.

Language and education requirements

You must reach CLB 5 in all four abilities for a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 offer, and CLB 4 for a TEER 4 offer. IRCC accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core in English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada in French. Results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. IRCC's language testing page lists every score band. Here are the English minimums for two common tests:

For education, IRCC's assessment rules depend on the job offer:

• TEER 0 or 1: a one-year post-secondary credential or higher, Canadian or foreign equivalent.
• TEER 2, 3 or 4: a high school diploma or higher, Canadian or foreign equivalent.

Foreign credentials need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated body. An ECA is valid for 5 years and must be less than 5 years old on the day you apply. If your occupation is regulated, you must check what licensing it needs. IRCC says that is your responsibility.

How much money do you need?

Unless you already work in Canada on a valid work permit, you must show settlement funds based on family size. IRCC's proof of funds page carries the table below, labelled "Updated July 29, 2025". We reviewed IRCC's AIP pages and the official sites of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador on November 7, 2026. Prince Edward Island's site would not load for our checks, so we publish no PEI rules here.

Count yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, and both your and your partner's dependent children, even if they are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or not coming with you.

The money must be available when you apply and when IRCC issues your visa. You cannot count equity in real property, and you cannot borrow the money from another person. Bank letters must show your balances and your average balance over the past 6 months. Declare to customs if you bring more than CA$10,000 into Canada.

How do employer designation and endorsement work?

Two separate approvals sit on the employer's side.

Designation is the employer's licence to hire through the AIP. IRCC's designation page says an employer applies once to a province, not once per candidate. It must be designated in the province where you will work. It needs at least 2 years of continuous, active operation under the same management, or confirmation from the province for operation elsewhere. It cannot recruit workers to build a pool for staffing agencies. It must finish two training courses first, unless the province exempts it from the intercultural one. IRCC says there is no cost to become designated.

Endorsement is the province approving your specific job offer. The employer applies with your settlement plan and must show it could not fill the job locally. No labour market impact assessment is needed (see our LMIA guide for the contrast). If the province approves, it sends you a Certificate of Endorsement.

Your part is the settlement plan. You contact a service provider organization, answer questions about your needs in person, online or by phone, and receive a personalized plan. You send a copy to the employer, and you include one in your PR application.

Province-by-province: what's open in 2026

Nova Scotia. The province runs an expression of interest (EOI) process for AIP designations and endorsements. Employers submit full applications, which go into an EOI pool. Selection means your submission matches current priorities. It does not guarantee approval. Nova Scotia also introduced a 12-month EOI validity period effective May 1, 2026. Its AIP page says the province has temporarily paused AIP job offers under NOC 62020 (food service supervisors). Nova Scotia also publishes a list of designated employers.

New Brunswick. Immigration New Brunswick paused employer designation applications effective September 14, 2026, and says the pause lasts for the rest of 2026. The province says it is reassessing existing designated employers. For endorsement, since October 14, 2026 applications can be submitted for all occupations except four NOCs: 14400 (shippers and receivers), 60030 (restaurant and food service managers), 62020 (food service supervisors) and 94142 (fish and seafood plant workers). TEER 5 occupations are not eligible. For candidates living outside Canada, endorsement is limited to government-led recruitment in health care, education and construction.

New Brunswick selects from a candidate pool. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee selection. Unselected applications expire after 365 days, and there is no charge to submit one. Its 2026 selection rounds picked 50 to 125 AIP applications each from March to September. Once endorsed, you and your family cannot apply under any other New Brunswick program. The province publishes its designated employer list on its AIP page.

Newfoundland and Labrador. The province uses an EOI model that launched in February 2025. Selected people receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), which lets them or their employer file a full application under the provincial nominee program or the AIP. EOIs expire after 12 months, and the window to submit the full application is currently 30 days. Invitations to the AIP have fallen sharply. The province's ITA update table shows 83 AIP invitations on March 6, 2026, then 1 on September 18, 10 on October 29 and 1 on November 4. Adding the rows gives 408 AIP invitations in 2026 through November 4, against 903 in 2025. Health roles get strong priority. Designation spaces expire on December 31 of the year they are issued. An endorsement certificate is valid for 1 year, and the province says it has no standard processing times.

Prince Edward Island. IRCC lists PEI as a participating province. We could not confirm PEI's current designation or endorsement rules, so check PEI's official immigration site before you plan around it.

Also see our guide to provincial nominee programs.

How to apply, step by step

1. Find a designated employer and get the offer. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador publish lists of designated employers. Confirm the employer is designated in the province where you will work.
2. Collect your proof. Take an approved language test, get an ECA if your education is foreign, and assemble work experience letters and bank letters.
3. Get your settlement plan from a service provider organization.
4. Send the plan to your employer. The employer applies for endorsement, and the province issues your Certificate of Endorsement.
5. Apply for PR online through the PR Portal. You upload the AIP application form (IMM 5501), the checklist (IMM 0155), the offer form (IMM 0157), and your endorsement, plus passports, civil status documents, a photo no older than 12 months, and a police certificate for each country where you lived 6 months or more in a row since age 18. IRCC rejects incomplete applications.
6. Give biometrics and a medical exam. After you apply, applicants aged 14 to 79 have 30 days from the date on the letter to give biometrics. You and your family must complete a medical exam before you come to Canada.

You may stay in Canada while you wait if you keep your temporary status. Paid representatives must be authorized.

Fees

These are IRCC's amounts from its fee list, in Canadian dollars:

A couple with one child pays CA$3,450 in PR fees before biometrics. IRCC refunds the CA$600 right of permanent residence fee if you withdraw or it refuses your application. In most cases you also pay a biometrics fee when you submit, so check the fee list for the current amount. IRCC does not state costs for the medical exam, police certificates, language test or ECA on its AIP pages. Neither does it state a price for the settlement plan.

On the employer side, New Brunswick says the compliance fee cannot be taken from you, and Newfoundland and Labrador says the employer pays any fees tied to the process.

Processing time

IRCC's processing-time data shows about 26 months for the AIP, with about 11,500 people waiting, as of October 9, 2026. The figure excludes the time to give biometrics. See the IRCC AIP page for the live tool. Older provincial guides mention a one-year federal standard, but IRCC's current figure is the one to plan around. New Brunswick says it cannot give processing times, and Newfoundland and Labrador has no standard times. For the national picture, read our 2027-2029 levels plan breakdown.

The temporary work permit option

You do not have to wait for PR to start work. A temporary work permit under the AIP is valid for 2 years and lets you work only for the employer who made the offer.

You need a job offer from a designated employer and a referral letter from the province. The employer requests that letter when it applies for endorsement. You must also meet the language, education and work experience requirements, unless you are an international graduate. The employer enters the offer in the Employer Portal with a 2-year duration and pays the compliance fee. You then apply with your signed IMM 0156 form and the checklist for your situation: IMM 0162 if you apply from outside Canada, IMM 0163 if you apply from inside. If you extend the permit, you do not upload the documents again.

A work permit does not mean IRCC will approve your PR application.

Bringing your family

Your spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit. IRCC points to its general spouse page for the conditions, so check those before you plan around a second income. Family members must be counted for settlement funds and included in the PR application, whether they accompany you or not. Accompanying family members are covered in the settlement plan. Each dependent child adds CA$270 in PR fees, with no right of permanent residence fee.

AIP vs Express Entry and PNP

The AIP needs a job offer from a designated employer in one of four provinces, plus provincial endorsement. No LMIA is required. Express Entry is a federal system that ranks candidates by score and does not require a job offer. Check your score with our CRS calculator. Provincial nominee programs are run by each province with their own streams. In Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, the same EOI process feeds both the nominee program and the AIP. These routes are not exclusive, so look at all of them for your profile.

For smaller communities elsewhere in Canada, see our Rural Community Immigration Pilot article. French speakers have separate options, covered in our PR pathways and provinces for French speakers piece.

Common mistakes

• Applying for PR before endorsement. The province must endorse the job offer before you can apply.
• Counting the wrong experience. Volunteer work, unpaid internships and self-employment do not count, and Canadian work without a valid work permit does not count either.
• Taking an offer from an employer designated in a different province. The employer must be designated where you will work.
• Accepting a part-time or seasonal offer. The minimum is 30 hours a week, non-seasonal.
• Leaving family out of the funds count. Include your partner and dependent children even if they stay behind. Do not use borrowed money or home equity.
• Using old results. Language results older than 2 years and ECAs older than 5 years do not qualify.
• Choosing an excluded occupation. NOC 62020 is paused in Nova Scotia and excluded in New Brunswick, which also excludes NOCs 14400, 60030 and 94142.
• Forgetting that New Brunswick endorsement locks you in. You cannot switch to another New Brunswick program afterward.

FAQ

Do I need an LMIA? No. IRCC says the employer does not need a labour market impact assessment for an AIP endorsement.

Can I apply from outside Canada? Yes, but New Brunswick limits endorsement for candidates abroad to government-led recruitment in health care, education and construction.

Can I apply without a job offer? No. Even Atlantic international graduates need an offer from a designated employer. The graduate exemption removes the work experience rule, not the offer.

How long will the process take? IRCC's current estimate is about 26 months for the PR decision. New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador say they do not publish processing times.

Talk to an RCIC about your AIP file

Go Far Global is an RCIC-led consultancy (licence R515110). If you want an honest read on whether your job offer, experience and family size fit the AIP, book a 30-minute RCIC consultation for CA$100, credited in full toward any retainer you sign with us within 30 days.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules, caps and pauses change often, so check IRCC and the province before applying.

Sources

• IRCC, Atlantic Immigration Program
• IRCC, How to immigrate through the AIP
• IRCC, Who can apply
• IRCC, Work experience
• IRCC, Get a job offer
• IRCC, Language testing
• IRCC, Education assessment
• IRCC, Proof of funds
• IRCC, Settlement service provider organizations
• IRCC, Recognized post-secondary institutions
• IRCC, Apply for permanent residence
• IRCC, After you apply
• IRCC, Temporary work permit
• IRCC, Get designated (employers)
• IRCC, Employer training
• IRCC, Endorsement (employers)
• IRCC, Fee list
• IRCC, Check processing times
• IRCC, Supplementary Information for the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan
• IRCC, Supplementary Information for the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan
• Nova Scotia, Atlantic Immigration Program
• Nova Scotia, Expression of interest process
• Nova Scotia, EOI validity period and transition measures
• Nova Scotia, Designated AIP employers (PDF)
• New Brunswick, Atlantic Immigration Program
• New Brunswick, Important notices
• New Brunswick, AIP candidate endorsement
• New Brunswick, Invitation and selection rounds
• Newfoundland and Labrador, Expression of interest model overview
• Newfoundland and Labrador, EOI prioritization criteria
• Newfoundland and Labrador, Invitations to Apply updates
• Newfoundland and Labrador, AIP candidate FAQs
• Newfoundland and Labrador, AIP for workers