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Atlantic Immigration Program: how designated employers, endorsement and the PR application fit together

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) offers permanent residence to skilled workers and international graduates who have a job offer from an employer designated by New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. A provincial endorsement comes before the federal PR application. This guide explains the rules IRCC published, as read on 10 October 2026. Check the IRCC pages before you apply, and note that it cannot tell you whether you qualify.

The Atlantic Immigration Program works differently from most economic programs. There is no pool, no points score and no ranking. Instead, the process starts with an employer. A province designates the employer, the employer makes a job offer, the candidate and a settlement service provider prepare a settlement plan, the province endorses the candidate, and only then does the candidate apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

IRCC describes the program on its AIP page as "a pathway to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers and international graduates" for the four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. It also says the program helps employers hire qualified candidates for jobs they have not been able to fill locally.

This guide explains what IRCC's pages say about each part of the process: who the employer must be, what the job offer must look like, what work experience, education, language and funds are required, what the settlement plan is, what the federal application costs, and what can go wrong. It was written from the IRCC pages as they stood on 10 October 2026. IRCC's AIP page carried a page date of 1 September 2026, and the sub-pages carried dates between 28 May and 22 September 2026. Programs like this one open, close and change often, so check the page before you apply. This is general information. It does not say whether any reader qualifies, which route to choose, or what to put on a form.

The order of events

IRCC's "How to immigrate" page for the program lays out two phases. Read them in order, because the common mistake is to jump to the federal application first.

Endorsement (the provincial phase) 1. A designated AIP employer offers you a job. 2. You are connected with settlement services to get a settlement plan. 3. You send the settlement plan to your employer, who submits an endorsement application to the department. 4. You receive a provincial endorsement certificate. 5. You may receive a work permit support letter, if a work permit is required.

Immigration application (the federal phase) 1. You submit your permanent residence application, the endorsement certificate and other documents to IRCC. 2. IRCC reviews and processes your PR application. 3. You can apply for a work permit while the PR application is processed, if required. 4. If approved, you travel to Atlantic Canada to live and work. 5. You get support from your employer and a settlement service provider as needed.

The program page shows the status of the program as open on 10 October 2026, with no notice of a pause or change. IRCC also publishes a step-by-step guide for candidates as a PDF, which is linked from the page. Processing times and fees are not shown reliably on the program page itself (the figures load by script), so use IRCC's processing-times tool and the fee list.

Candidates can live abroad or be in Canada as temporary residents. A candidate who wants to work while waiting needs a job offer from a designated employer that meets the program's requirements and a referral letter from the Atlantic province where they will work.

Designated employers

A job offer only counts under this program if it comes from a designated employer. IRCC states that each province designates employers who can offer jobs under the program, and that employers must be designated by the provincial government of the Atlantic province where the candidate will work before making a job offer. The page also states that "There is no cost to become a designated employer." Each province runs its own application, found on its own website.

IRCC links to the four provincial pages:

  • New Brunswick: gnb.ca, "Atlantic Immigration Program"
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: gov.nl.ca, Atlantic Immigration Program overview
  • Nova Scotia: novascotiaimmigration.com, help for employers
  • Prince Edward Island: princeedwardisland.ca, employer designation application

Designated employers are listed on the provincial websites, according to IRCC's job offer page. The employer must send the candidate a copy of its confirmation of designation, which the candidate needs for the settlement plan and for the permanent residence application, and an Offer of Employment to a Foreign National form (IMM 0157) that the candidate signs and keeps a copy of.

A few points follow from this structure. First, the employer does a lot of the work: designation, the offer, the endorsement application. Second, the employer decides whether to participate. Nothing in the program obliges any employer to hire anyone. Third, this page is about how designation works. It is not a list of jobs and it does not promise a job. If an unlicensed person or a recruiter tells you they can guarantee a designated employer will hire you, or asks you for money in return for an AIP job, read the warning signs of an unlicensed consultant first.

What the job offer must look like

IRCC's "Get a job offer" page (page date 22 September 2026) sets conditions on the offer. The offer must be:

  • Full-time, defined as at least 30 hours a week.
  • Non-seasonal, meaning consistent and paid all year.
  • Long enough: for TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 jobs, for at least one year from the time you become a permanent resident; for TEER 4 jobs, permanent employment with no set end date.
  • At the same or higher skill level as your qualifying work experience. IRCC's table links the TEER of the offer to the TEER of the experience. A TEER 0 offer accepts experience at TEER 0 to 4. A TEER 1 offer accepts TEER 1 to 4, and so on. A TEER 4 offer accepts TEER 4 experience only.
  • A job you can and will do, and one you are likely to accept. You must meet the employment requirements of the NOC code.
  • Not from a company in which you, your spouse or your common-law partner is a majority owner.

The page also contains an exemption linked to health care: experience as a licensed practical nurse (NOC 31201) or registered nurse (NOC 31301) can be used for an offer in NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) or NOC 44101 (home support workers, caregivers and related occupations).

Two things the page does not say are worth knowing. It does not set a minimum wage for the offer, and it does not mention a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Do not assume either way. The program is separate from the LMIA system described in the LMIA cost guide, and IRCC's page does not say that an LMIA is required. Check the page for any changes.

The NOC and TEER terms are explained in the NOC and TEER guide.

Work experience, education, language and funds

Beyond the job offer, IRCC's eligibility pages set four requirements. The figures below are from pages dated 28 May to 22 June 2026 and a funds table that the page says was updated on 29 July 2025.

Work experience. At least 1,560 hours of related work experience over the past five years. IRCC says that this is the same as working 30 hours per week for one year, and that the hours must span at least one year. What counts:

  • Paid work only. Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count.
  • Jobs in Canada require a valid work permit.
  • Self-employed work is excluded.
  • The duties must match the NOC description and cover most of its main duties.
  • The experience must be in the same TEER category as the job offer or higher.

Recent-graduate exemption. You do not need qualifying work experience if you are an international graduate who meets all of IRCC's conditions. They include holding a degree, diploma, certificate or trade or apprenticeship certification of at least two years from a recognized post-secondary institution in one of the four Atlantic provinces, received less than two years before applying for permanent residence; being a full-time student for the entire program; living in an Atlantic province for at least 16 months during the last two years before graduating; and holding the visa or permit needed to work, study or train in Canada. Programs where English or French as a second language was at least half, where distance learning was at least half, or where a scholarship required you to return home are not eligible.

Education. The minimum depends on the TEER of the job offer. For TEER 0 or 1 it is a Canadian one-year post-secondary credential or higher. For TEER 2, 3 or 4 it is a Canadian high school diploma or higher. A foreign credential must be the foreign equivalent, shown by an educational credential assessment (ECA) from a designated organization, less than five years old and done for immigration purposes. IRCC adds that an ECA does not guarantee you can work in a regulated job in Canada. See the ECA guide.

Language. An approved test result less than two years old, with a minimum in all four abilities: CLB 5 for a job offer in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, and CLB 4 for a TEER 4 job offer. The approved tests are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. See the language tests guide.

Funds. IRCC's table of minimum settlement funds by family size read, on 10 October 2026: $3,815 for one person, $4,750 for two, $5,840 for three, $7,090 for four, $8,042 for five, $9,070 for six, $10,098 for seven, and $1,028 for each additional member. Family size counts the applicant, a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children and the spouse's dependent children, even if they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents or are not coming to Canada. You do not need to show proof of funds if you are already working in Canada with a valid work permit. IRCC updates the table, so read it again on the day you apply.

The settlement plan

The settlement plan is unusual enough that it deserves its own section. IRCC says candidates must get a settlement plan from a service provider organization. In the endorsement steps, you are connected with settlement services to get the plan, and you send it to your designated employer, who submits the endorsement application.

IRCC links to a list of settlement service provider organizations from its eligibility page. The plan is about how you and your family will settle in the community, so it is not a document you write alone. The page does not give a fee for the plan or a processing time, so ask the organization.

Notice the sequencing. The settlement plan needs the employer's confirmation of designation, and the endorsement application needs the settlement plan. Each step depends on the one before it, so a candidate who is waiting on one document is also waiting on everything behind it.

Fees and the work permit

IRCC's fee list, dated 21 September 2026, groups the Atlantic Immigration Program with the other economic immigration programs. The amounts, in Canadian dollars:

  • Your application: $1,590. This includes the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee. Without the right of permanent residence fee it is $990.
  • Include your spouse or partner: $1,590 ($990 without the right of permanent residence fee).
  • Include a dependent child: $270 per child.
  • Right of permanent residence fee: $600. IRCC says it is payable before you become a permanent resident, you can pay it with your application fees, and it is refunded if you withdraw or IRCC refuses the application.

Employers pay nothing to become designated, according to IRCC. Other costs such as language tests, an ECA, a medical exam and police certificates are the candidate's. Biometrics may also apply; see the PR fees guide for the current figures.

If you want to work while the PR application is processed, there is an optional temporary work permit. IRCC's page says the candidate needs a job offer from a designated employer and a referral letter from the Atlantic province. Government fees for the work permit are on the same fee list. The work permit is a separate application and a separate decision.

Common mistakes and when to use a regulated adviser

  • Applying to IRCC before endorsement. The endorsement certificate is part of the PR application.
  • Accepting an offer from an employer that is not designated. Check the provincial list. The offer must come from a designated employer in the province where you will work.
  • Counting the wrong hours. The 1,560 hours must be paid, non-self-employed work that matches the NOC duties, at the right TEER. A job title is not enough.
  • Using an old funds table. The table is updated. Read it on the day.
  • Paying someone for a job. IRCC says there is no cost for an employer to become designated. A request for money in return for a job offer is a warning sign.
  • Assuming the page you read last year still applies. Dates on IRCC pages in this program ranged from May to September 2026.

Only a lawyer or a licensed immigration consultant (an RCIC) may advise a person on their own case for a fee in Canada. That is set by section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A regulated adviser can read your offer, your hours and your documents against the current rules, which an article cannot do. You can check an RCIC licence on the College's public register before you pay. If you want to compare the other provincial routes first, the Provincial Nominee Program guide explains how they differ.

Find a regulated adviser

If you want a licensed immigration consultant or a lawyer to look at your own situation, use the Migratio directory to find a regulated adviser, and check their licence on the official register before you sign anything. Migratio is a directory and booking platform. It does not give immigration advice, does not choose a program for anyone, does not list jobs and has no connection to IRCC or to any province.

Questions people ask

Which provinces are part of the Atlantic Immigration Program?

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, according to IRCC's program page read on 10 October 2026. Each province designates its own employers.

How do I find Atlantic Immigration Program designated employers?

IRCC says designated employers are listed on the provincial websites for New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Start from IRCC's "Get a job offer" page, which links to each list, and check the list directly rather than relying on a third party.

Does the Atlantic Immigration Program need an LMIA?

IRCC's job offer page (page date 22 September 2026) does not mention a Labour Market Impact Assessment and does not say one is required. The employer's path is provincial designation and endorsement. Check the page for any change.

How many hours of work experience does the AIP need?

IRCC's work experience page (page date 28 May 2026) says at least 1,560 hours of related work experience over the past five years, the same as working 30 hours a week for one year, and paid, non-self-employed work that matches the NOC duties. International graduates of Atlantic institutions who meet IRCC's conditions can be exempt.

What language level does the Atlantic Immigration Program require?

IRCC's language page says CLB 5 for a job offer in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 and CLB 4 for TEER 4, in all four abilities, with a result less than two years old from an approved test.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • Provincial Nominee Program explained: provincial streams and the two paths to PR — Under the Provincial Nominee Program, a province or territory nominates people it wants to settle, and IRCC handles the permanent residence application. IRCC describes two paths: an Express Entry path, where a nomination adds 600 points to a profile, and a non-Express Entry path. Each province sets its own streams and numbers, and Quebec and Nunavut have no program.
  • NOC and TEER categories: how Canada classifies jobs for immigration — The National Occupational Classification (NOC) gives every job in Canada a code, and the TEER category groups codes by the training, education, experience and responsibilities they usually need. IRCC has used NOC 2021 since 16 November 2022. The Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Worker classes use TEER 0 to 3. The Federal Skilled Trades Program uses specified NOC groups. Duties, not job titles, decide the code.
  • Educational credential assessment (ECA) for Canada: who issues it and what it is used for — An educational credential assessment (ECA) is a report from an organization IRCC has designated. It says what a credential earned outside Canada is equal to in Canada. For the Federal Skilled Worker Program it must be less than 5 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your application. Fees and times differ by organization, so check each one.
  • Language tests for Canada PR: the approved tests and how scores become CLB levels — For Express Entry, IRCC accepts five tests: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core in English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada in French. Results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you apply. Scores are converted into Canadian Language Benchmark (English) or NCLC (French) levels, and the minimum level depends on the program.
  • Canada PR Fees 2026: Application Fee and the $600 RPRF — On the IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026), an economic permanent residence application, including Express Entry, is $1,590 with the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) and $990 without it. A spouse or partner included on the application is the same again, and each dependent child is $270. IRCC says it refunds the RPRF if you withdraw or it refuses the application.
  • LMIA Cost: The $1,000 Fee and Why a Worker Cannot Be Charged — An employer applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) pays $1,000 for each position requested. ESDC's page says the fee cannot be paid by, or recovered from, the temporary foreign worker, and a recruiter acting for the employer cannot recover it or recruitment costs from the worker either. It is not refunded if the application is withdrawn, cancelled or the LMIA is negative.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Consultants: How to Check Before You Pay — Only RCICs and RISIAs licensed by the College, lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a law society, and Quebec notaries may charge for Canadian immigration advice. IRCC says it won't deal with unauthorized paid representatives and may return or refuse an application that uses one.
  • How to check an RCIC licence on the College's Public Register — Search the consultant on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Public Register (register.college-ic.ca). Only people with an "Active" status and "Yes" in the "Entitled to Practise" column may legally give you immigration advice for a fee. Then contact them using the details on the register, not the ones in an ad or a message.
  • Nova Scotia Nominee Program Fees From 1 September 2026 — Nova Scotia charges an NSNP application fee from 1 September 2026: $1,000 for the worker streams and $2,000 for the entrepreneur stream, per principal applicant. There is no fee to submit an expression of interest. The fee is due after selection, and the province says it is non-refundable except where required by law or when an administrative error has occurred.