Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a permanent residence pathway for skilled foreign workers and eligible international graduates who want to live and work in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador.

A key feature of the program is that the applicant must have a qualifying job offer from a designated Atlantic employer. The employer, job offer, applicant’s work experience, language ability, education and settlement plan all need to fit the program requirements before the permanent residence application is submitted.

Anka Canada Immigration Consulting assists applicants with reviewing AIP eligibility, job offers and supporting documentation before proceeding with the provincial endorsement and permanent residence process.

Services are provided by Volkan Sacilik, RCIC-IRB, CICC Licence No. R1042981.

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Who May Qualify for the Atlantic Immigration Program?

AIP may be available to:

• skilled foreign workers with qualifying work experience; or

• certain recent graduates of recognized post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada.

Applicants generally need a valid job offer from a designated employer, the required education and language level, a settlement plan and sufficient settlement funds where applicable.

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What Kind of Job Offer Is Required?

The job offer must come from an employer designated by the Atlantic province where the applicant will work.

The employment must generally be:

• full-time;

• non-seasonal; and

• in an eligible TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 occupation.

For TEER 0–3 positions, the offer must generally last at least one year after the applicant becomes a permanent resident. TEER 4 offers must generally be permanent, with no set end date.

A regular Canadian job offer is therefore not enough on its own. The employer’s designation and the program-specific job-offer requirements should be confirmed before relying on AIP.

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Work Experience and Atlantic Graduate Exemption

Most applicants need at least 1,560 hours of qualifying work experience obtained over at least one year during the previous five years.

Certain international graduates from Atlantic Canada may be exempt from the work-experience requirement if they completed an eligible program of at least two years at a recognized Atlantic institution, studied full-time and met the applicable residence and status requirements.

This makes it important to determine whether the applicant is applying as a skilled worker or under the international graduate exemption.

 

Language and Education Requirements

The minimum language requirement depends on the TEER level of the job offer:

• TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3: CLB/NCLC 5

• TEER 4: CLB/NCLC 4

Applicants must use an approved English or French language test, and the results must still be valid when the application is submitted.

Education requirements also depend on the job offer. TEER 0 or 1 positions generally require at least a one-year Canadian post-secondary credential or equivalent, while TEER 2, 3 or 4 positions generally require at least Canadian secondary education or its equivalent. Foreign credentials normally require an Educational Credential Assessment.

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Settlement Plan and Provincial Endorsement

AIP includes a settlement component that is different from many other economic immigration programs.

After receiving the qualifying job offer, the applicant must obtain a settlement plan from an approved settlement service provider. The employer then uses the settlement plan as part of the application to the province for endorsement.

The permanent residence application should not be submitted until the province has issued the Certificate of Endorsement.

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Do You Need Proof of Funds?

Applicants generally need to demonstrate sufficient settlement funds for themselves and their family.

However, a person who is already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit does not normally need to provide proof of settlement funds under AIP.

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Can You Work While the PR Application Is Processing?

Certain AIP applicants may also qualify for a temporary employer-specific work permit while their permanent residence application is being processed.

This permit can be issued for up to two years and requires, among other things, a qualifying job offer from a designated employer and a referral letter from the relevant Atlantic province. Receiving the work permit does not guarantee approval of permanent residence.

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Common Issues to Watch For

AIP applications may become more complicated when:

• the employer is not properly designated;

• the job offer does not meet the applicable TEER or duration requirements;

• work experience does not match the offered occupation;

• the international graduate exemption is assumed incorrectly;

• language or education requirements are not met;

• settlement-plan or provincial endorsement steps are completed in the wrong order.

Reviewing the applicant, employer and job offer together can help identify whether AIP is actually the appropriate pathway before significant steps are taken.

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How Anka Canada Immigration Consulting Can Assist

Anka can review the applicant’s work experience, education, language results and job offer to assess whether AIP may be an appropriate permanent residence pathway.

Where retained, we can also review employer documentation, assist with the applicant-side immigration process and prepare the permanent residence application once the required provincial endorsement has been obtained.

The objective is to help ensure that the job offer, employer designation, provincial process and federal permanent residence application fit together correctly before filing.

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Important Information

Atlantic Immigration Program requirements, provincial endorsement procedures and program availability can change. Eligibility depends on the applicant, employer, job offer and rules in force when the relevant application is submitted.

This page provides general information only and does not guarantee provincial endorsement, work permit approval or permanent residence.