- Topic: Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)
- Country: Canada
- Category: PNP Programs
- Program: Atlantic Immigration Program
- Posted: October 2026
Introduction
Canada’s Atlantic provinces — New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador — face a shared challenge: smaller populations, aging workforces and employers who struggle to fill jobs locally. The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) was built for that reality: it lets designated employers hire foreign workers and international graduates, with settlement support built in from day one.
This guide explains how the AIP works in 2026: designated employers, job offers, the settlement plan, endorsement, and the steps to permanent residence.
Overview of the Atlantic Immigration Program
The AIP is a federal immigration program delivered with the four Atlantic provinces. Unlike a classic PNP, you do not apply to a province for points or ranking. Instead, the employer drives the process: only employers designated by their province can hire through the AIP, and each hire is supported by a settlement plan and provincial endorsement before the permanent residence application goes to IRCC.
The program covers skilled and intermediate-level occupations and international graduates of Atlantic institutions. Education, language and experience requirements vary by the job offer’s skill level. Criteria change over time, so confirm the current version on the official IRCC AIP pages before acting.
PNP Programs — The AIP works alongside the Atlantic provinces’ own nominee programs; compare both routes in our PNP guides.
Designated Employers: The Heart of the AIP
Only employers that a province has designated — after checking that the business is genuine, operating in Atlantic Canada and able to support a newcomer — may hire through the program.
- You find a genuine full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated employer in an Atlantic province.
- The employer connects you with a settlement service provider to build your settlement plan.
- The province reviews the offer and issues an endorsement.
- You then apply to IRCC for permanent residence with the endorsement included.
Verify any “AIP job” claim: a real position always involves a designated employer, a settlement plan and an endorsement. Offers skipping these steps — or asking you to pay for them — are not the real program.
What Candidates Need
Requirements depend on the job’s skill level, but candidates generally need:
- A full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated Atlantic employer in an eligible occupation.
- Qualifying work experience within the required recent period for the job’s skill level — or recent-graduate status from a recognised Atlantic institution, which can exempt the experience requirement.
- Education meeting the level required for the job’s classification, with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for foreign credentials.
- Language results from an approved provider meeting the minimum for the job’s skill classification.
- Proof of settlement funds, unless you are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.
- A genuine intention to live in the Atlantic province where the job is located.
Canada Jobs — Atlantic employers hire across health care, trades, hospitality and more; see our Canada jobs guides for how the hiring works.
The Settlement Plan and Endorsement
The settlement plan is what makes the AIP different. You work with a designated settlement service provider to map out housing, language training, community connections and family support. The plan is free and a genuine requirement — Atlantic provinces want newcomers to stay; retention is the program’s founding goal.
With the plan in place, the employer submits the offer to the province, which reviews and endorses it. Only then do you apply to IRCC for permanent residence. While you wait, many candidates start the job on a work permit — IRCC has a specific work permit option for AIP applicants referred by the province.
Work Visa & Permit — Our work permit guides explain temporary work options while a permanent residence application is in progress.
Documents You Will Need
- Valid passport and identity documents for you and your family members.
- The job offer from your designated employer and the endorsement certificate.
- Your settlement plan, prepared with the settlement service provider.
- Language test results from an approved testing organisation.
- Education documents and an ECA report for credentials completed outside Canada.
- Work-experience reference letters and pay records (unless an Atlantic international graduate).
- Proof of settlement funds where required, plus police certificates and medical results for the IRCC stage.
How to Apply Step by Step
- Get a job offer from a designated employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Complete your settlement plan with the provider your employer connects you with.
- Employer seeks endorsement: the employer submits the offer to the province, which reviews and endorses it.
- Apply to IRCC for permanent residence with the endorsement, settlement plan and your documents.
- Optionally, apply for the AIP work permit to start working while IRCC processes your application.
- Receive the federal decision and settle in your Atlantic community.
Can Foreigners Apply for the AIP?
Yes — the program is designed for foreign workers, and you can be living outside Canada when a designated employer offers you the job. There is no points ranking and no draw: with a genuine offer, the credentials for the job’s level and the endorsement, you can apply. You cannot self-apply without a designated employer — that relationship is the program’s foundation.
Tips for AIP Applicants
- Target your job search at Atlantic Canada employers and confirm their designated status through official provincial sources.
- Take the settlement plan seriously — it is a requirement and a real help for families relocating to smaller communities.
- Prepare language testing and your ECA early; both are needed before the application can move forward.
- Be honest about your intention to settle in Atlantic Canada — the program is built around retention.
- Never pay for a job offer, a designation or an endorsement. Employers cannot charge you for AIP hiring, and the settlement plan is free.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is the Atlantic Immigration Program a PNP?
Not exactly. It is a federal program run with the four Atlantic provinces, driven by designated employers and provincial endorsement rather than points or draws — a separate route alongside the Atlantic PNPs.
Do I need a job offer for the AIP?
Yes. A full-time, non-seasonal offer from a designated employer in an Atlantic province is mandatory — there is no version of the AIP without one.
What is a designated employer?
An Atlantic Canada business approved by its province to hire through the AIP, after demonstrating it is genuine, operating and able to support newcomers.
What is the settlement plan?
A free, personalised plan you create with a settlement service provider, covering housing, language classes, community connections and family needs, required before the province endorses your offer.
Can I work while my AIP permanent residence application is processed?
Generally yes — endorsed applicants can use the program’s work permit option and start the job while IRCC completes the permanent residence application.
Can someone sell me an AIP job offer or endorsement?
No. Job offers, designations and endorsements are never legitimately sold. Anyone charging for them is running a scam that can get your application refused and ban you from Canadian programs.
Conclusion
The Atlantic Immigration Program trades points and draws for something simpler: a real job with a designated employer, a settlement plan that helps you stay, and a provincial endorsement behind your application. For workers willing to build a life in Atlantic Canada, it remains one of the most direct routes to permanent residence in the country.
Stay safe: The AIP’s settlement plan is free and its endorsements cannot be bought. If an “employer” or agent demands payment for an AIP job, a designation or an endorsement, it is fraud — genuine employers follow the official process at no cost to you.