At a glance
If you have a job offer from an approved employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador, the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) may offer a route to permanent residence. It covers eligible skilled workers and recent international graduates who plan to make one of these provinces their home.
- Job offer required?
- Yes, full-time and non-seasonal from a designated Atlantic employer
- Experience
- At least one qualifying year in the previous five, or an accepted Atlantic-graduate exemption
- Other requirements
- Provincial endorsement, language and education evidence, a settlement plan, and any required funds
Summary
The Atlantic Immigration Program offers a way to settle permanently in Canada through a qualifying job in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador. The employer must be designated, the province must endorse the offer, and the applicant must meet work, education, language, funds, and admissibility requirements.
After getting the offer, you need a settlement plan and the province's endorsement—its approval of the offer—before applying for permanent residence. You can qualify from abroad or while living in Canada temporarily.
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Check the job offer Confirm that the employer is approved and that the job's duties, skill category, and length meet the rules.
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Prepare your documents and settlement plan Show the required experience or graduate exemption, education, language ability, and financial support.
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Get the province's approval The province must endorse your offer under the Atlantic Immigration Program.
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Apply for permanent residence Canada's immigration department reviews your eligibility, health, security, and other entry requirements.
Employer approval, provincial endorsement, and permanent residence are separate steps. A work permit while you wait requires separate permission.
Eligibility
The applicant must normally have:
- A full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated Atlantic employer. The required offer length depends on the job's category in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC). Its TEER levels group jobs by training, education, experience, and responsibilities: TEER 0 to 3 offers must normally last at least one year after permanent residence, while a TEER 4 offer must be permanent.
- At least one year of qualifying paid work experience in the five years before applying. The work must match the NOC duties and cannot be self-employment. A recent graduate of a recognized Atlantic institution may qualify for the graduate exemption instead.
- Education appropriate to the offered job. Foreign education generally needs an Educational Credential Assessment.
- A valid approved English or French language test. The minimum on Canada's English or French language scales (CLB/NCLC) is generally level 5 for TEER 0 to 3 offers and level 4 for TEER 4 offers.
- Enough settlement money under IRCC's current table, unless already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.
- A settlement plan prepared with an approved settlement-service provider.
- A certificate showing that the province has endorsed the job offer, plus compliance with Canada's medical, criminal, security, and other entry requirements.
The graduate exemption has detailed rules about the credential, full-time study, graduation date, and time lived in Atlantic Canada. Graduating in the region does not remove the designated-employer job-offer requirement.
What This Route Allows
Federal approval gives the applicant and included eligible family members Canadian permanent residence. Permanent residents may live, work, and study in Canada and may later qualify for citizenship under the ordinary citizenship rules.
After receiving provincial endorsement, some applicants can also apply for an optional employer-specific temporary work permit while IRCC processes the permanent-residence application. That permit requires a provincial referral letter and does not replace the permanent-residence application.
What This Route Is Not
AIP is not an open job-search visa, and simply working in an Atlantic province is not enough. The employer must be designated, the offer must meet AIP rules, and the province must endorse it.
Designation also does not mean that an employer may charge a worker for a job or guarantee immigration approval. IRCC still reviews the application, documents, medical results, criminality, security, and other admissibility matters.
Next Steps
- Confirm which Atlantic province and community you genuinely intend to settle in.
- Check the province's current list of designated AIP employers; verify any offer directly with the employer and province.
- Match the job duties—not only the title—to the correct NOC and confirm the required offer length.
- Determine whether you qualify through work experience or the recent Atlantic-graduate exemption.
- Complete the approved language test and, if needed, an Educational Credential Assessment.
- Work with the employer and settlement provider on the settlement plan and provincial endorsement.
- Apply to IRCC for permanent residence only after endorsement. Review the optional work-permit rules separately if you need temporary work authorization while the application is pending.
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