Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) Master Guide 2026

1. What Is the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) in 2026?

The Atlantic Immigration Program is a federal permanent-residence pathway operated in partnership with the governments of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. It is an employer-driven program for skilled foreign workers and eligible international graduates who want to live and work in Atlantic Canada. Unlike a provincial nominee program, AIP does not use a provincial points-based EOI ranking grid. The core process connects a candidate with a designated employer, obtains a provincial endorsement of the job offer, develops a settlement plan and then submits the permanent-residence application to IRCC.

2. AIP Job-Offer TEER Rules and Qualifying Work Experience

AIP no longer needs to be explained through separate 'high-skilled' and 'intermediate-skilled' programs. Current eligibility is driven by the TEER category of the job offer and the candidate's qualifying work experience. Most non-graduate candidates need at least 1,560 hours of related paid work experience accumulated over at least one year during the previous five years. The work must not be self-employed, must include most of the main duties of the applicable NOC and must meet the required TEER relationship with the offered job.

3. Atlantic International Graduate Exemption: When No Work Experience Is Required

The AIP provides a specific work-experience exemption for qualifying international graduates from recognized post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada. It is not enough merely to have studied in one of the four provinces. The applicant must have completed a credential or trade/apprenticeship certification that took at least two years, obtained it less than two years before applying for permanent residence, studied full-time throughout the program, lived in an Atlantic province for at least 16 months during the two years before graduation and held the required Canadian permit or authorization. Programs in which distance learning or second-language study represented at least half of the program are excluded from this exemption, as are certain scholarships requiring return to the home country.

4. Education, Language and Settlement-Fund Requirements

AIP education and language requirements depend on the TEER category of the job offer. For TEER 0 or 1 job offers, the candidate generally needs a Canadian one-year post-secondary credential or higher, or the foreign equivalent supported by an Educational Credential Assessment. For TEER 2, 3 or 4 job offers, the minimum is generally a Canadian high-school diploma or equivalent, although individual jobs can require more education. Language is CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 0-3 and CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4, using an approved test whose results are generally less than two years old. Settlement funds are required unless the applicant is already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.

5. Designated Employer, Job Offer and Provincial Endorsement

The employer-driven nature of AIP is central to the program. Before hiring a candidate under AIP, the employer must be designated by the province where the candidate will work. The job offer must be full-time, non-seasonal and meet the appropriate duration rule: TEER 0-3 offers must last at least one year from the date the candidate becomes a permanent resident, while TEER 4 offers must be permanent with no fixed end date. The job must be genuine and something the candidate can reasonably be expected to perform. The employer submits the endorsement application to the relevant Atlantic province, including the settlement plan and required employment documentation. The candidate cannot submit the federal AIP PR application before the job offer is endorsed.

6. AIP Application Workflow: Designation, Settlement, Endorsement and Federal PR

The practical AIP workflow has separate employer, provincial and federal stages. The employer first becomes designated, then identifies a candidate and makes an eligible job offer. The candidate obtains a settlement plan from a service provider organization. The employer submits the endorsement application to the relevant Atlantic province, and the province must endorse the offer before the candidate submits the PR application. After endorsement, the candidate applies to IRCC for permanent residence. A candidate who wants to work while waiting may also apply for the optional AIP temporary work permit if the federal requirements are met.

7. AIP Work Permit, Settlement Funds, Federal PR and 2026 Compliance

The optional AIP temporary work permit allows an eligible candidate to work while the permanent-residence application is being processed. The permit is valid for two years and is employer-specific: it only authorizes work for the designated employer that made the qualifying offer. A provincial referral letter is required. Receiving this work permit does not guarantee that IRCC will approve permanent residence. Candidates must continue satisfying federal immigration requirements and should maintain the employment and settlement circumstances described in the application. The AIP route is therefore a direct PR pathway, but it is not an automatic nomination or automatic PR approval system.

Frequently Asked Questions (6 Verified Answers)