01 — Overview
What the AIP does
The Atlantic Immigration Program helps designated employers hire eligible candidates for jobs they have been unable to fill locally in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador.
Candidates may qualify as skilled workers or eligible graduates of recognized Atlantic institutions. The province must endorse the application before the permanent-residence application is submitted to IRCC.
02
Who the program serves
Skilled foreign workers
Candidates with qualifying work experience, language, education and a designated-employer job offer.
International graduates
Eligible recent graduates from recognized Atlantic institutions may qualify for an exemption from the work-experience requirement.
Designated employers
Atlantic employers approved by a province to recruit and support candidates under the program.
Four participating provinces
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
03
Core candidate requirements
- A qualifying full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated Atlantic employer
- Eligible work experience or a qualifying Atlantic-graduate exemption
- Education or an Educational Credential Assessment as required
- Approved language test results at the required level
- Settlement funds unless exempt
- A settlement plan and provincial endorsement
04
How the process works
- 01
Employer designation
The employer must be designated by the Atlantic province before using the program.
- 02
Job offer and settlement plan
The employer offers eligible employment and connects the candidate with settlement services.
- 03
Provincial endorsement
The province reviews the job offer and candidate package and may issue an endorsement.
- 04
Federal PR application
The endorsed candidate applies to IRCC and may examine the available temporary work-permit option if needed.
05
Important points
- A job offer alone is insufficient if the employer is not designated or the province does not endorse the application.
- The AIP is separate from the four Atlantic Provincial Nominee Programs.
- International-graduate exemptions have detailed study and residence conditions.
- Employer designation does not mean every offered job or candidate will be endorsed.
Official sources
Verify the current rules at the source.
This page provides general information, not legal advice. Program status, criteria and intake can change. Confirm the current official instructions before applying.