Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

Last Updated: 17 December 2021

The Atlantic Immigration program was launched as a pilot program in 2017. This program is a pathway to permanent residence in Canada, for skilled foreign workers and international graduates who want to work and live in one of Canada’s 4 Atlantic Provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Due to the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) Program, it became a permanent immigration program starting January 01, 2022. The new program is called Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) This means that this program will continue to attract foreign workers and international students to Canada’s 4 Atlantic Province.

Canada’s 4 Atlantic Provinces are:

Altantic Canada Map

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) helps employers hire qualified foreign nationals for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally. These candidates can be overseas or living temporarily in Canada

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) consists of 3 programs:

  • Atlantic International Graduate Program
  • Atlantic High-skilled Program
  • Atlantic Intermediate-skilled Program

Each program has requirements that the employee and candidate must meet.

How Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) Works

The employer applies to get designated by the Atlantic province they want to hire candidates. Each province has their own application procedure.
Employer finds a candidate and makes a job offer
The employer has to submit an endorsement of the job offer to the Atlantic province. Each province has their own application procedure to get the endorsement.
If the province endorses the job offer, candidate can apply for permanent residence to Canada. The candidate may also be eligible for 1 year Temporary Work Permit, while the permanent residence application is being processed.

Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) Eligibility Requirements

Atlantic High-Skilled Program

To apply under the Atlantic High-Skilled Program you must meet the following requirements:

  • In the last 3 years, you must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours you would have worked in 1 year if you were working 30 hours per week.
  • This work must have been at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type/level 0, A, or B.
  • It should be only in 1 occupation. Self-employed hours don’t count for this program. This work can be done inside or outside Canada.
  • Have a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree from a recognized institution or a foreign degree, diploma or certificate, equal to a Canadian credential. You’ll need an educational credential assessment (ECA) report for a foreign degree. If you already have an ECA report, it must be less than 5 years old when you apply for permanent resident application.
  • Must have an eligible job offer from a designated employer in any of the 4 Atlantic provinces.
  • Must have proof of funds to support the candidate and eligible family members.
  • Must meet language requirements of at least the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 4 in all 4 abilities (writing, reading, listening, speaking).
  • Must meet medical admissibility and criminal admissibility requirements of IRCC.

Atlantic International Graduate Program

If you are an International Graduate in an Atlantic Province in Canada, you must meet the following requirements to apply:

  • You should have lived in any Atlantic Province for at least 16 months in the 2 years, before getting your degree, diploma by studying
  • This program does not require any work experience.
  • Must have a 2-year degree, diploma, degree, or trade or apprenticeship certificate, from a recognized publicly-funded institution in Canada.
  • You should be a full-time student and not in any breach of contusion of stay as a student in the Atlantic Province.
  • English and French Language Learning courses are not counted towards the Canadian education requirement.
  • Must have an eligible job offer from a designated employer in any of the 4 Atlantic provinces.
  • Must meet language requirements of at least the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 4 in all 4 abilities (writing, reading, listening, speaking).
  • Must have proof of funds to support the candidate and eligible family members.
  • Must meet medical admissibility and criminal admissibility requirements of IRCC.

Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

To apply for the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • In the last 3 years, you must have worked at least 1,560 hours. This is how many hours you would have worked in 1 year if you were working 30 hours per week.
  • Self-employed hours don’t count for this program. This work can be done inside or outside Canada
  • This work must have been at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type/level C. OR
  • You have work experience as a registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse (NOC skill level A 3012) or as a licensed practical nurse (NOC skill level B 3233) and you also have job offers from a designated employer in the Atlantic Province,  as a nurse’s aide, orderly or patient services associate (NOC skill level C 3413) or a home support worker (NOC skill level C 4412), any one of the job offers 3413 or 4412
  • Have a Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree from a recognized institution or a foreign degree, diploma or certificate, equal to a Canadian credential. You’ll need an educational credential assessment (ECA) report for a foreign degree. If you already have an ECA report, it must be less than 5 years old when you apply for permanent resident application.
  • Must have an eligible job offer from a designated employer in any of the 4 Atlantic provinces.
  • Must have proof of funds to support the candidate and eligible family members.
  • Must meet language requirements of at least the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 4 in all 4 abilities (writing, reading, listening, speaking).
  • Must meet medical admissibility and criminal admissibility requirements of IRCC