Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

A federal permanent residence program run by IRCC

Last checked by hand November 7, 2026 against official sources

Quick answer

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a federal permanent residence program for people with a full-time job offer from a designated employer in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. The province must endorse the job offer — no LMIA is needed. Candidates need at least 1,560 hours of related work in the past 5 years, CLB 5 (TEER 0–3) or CLB 4 (TEER 4), education matching the TEER, and proof of funds unless already working in Canada.

Key requirements

Requirement	Official rule
Job offer	Full-time (30+ hours a week), non-seasonal, from a designated employer: at least 1 year from PR for TEER 0–3, permanent for TEER 4. TEER 5 isn't eligible. source
Provincial endorsement	The province must endorse the job offer before you apply for PR. No LMIA is needed, and employer designation is free. source
Work experience	At least 1,560 hours of related paid work in the past 5 years, over at least 1 year. Some recent graduates of Atlantic institutions are exempt. source
Language	CLB/NCLC 5 for a TEER 0–3 job offer; CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4. Results under 2 years old (CELPIP-G, IELTS General, PTE Core, TEF Canada, TCF Canada). source
Education	TEER 0 or 1: Canadian one-year post-secondary credential or higher (or ECA). TEER 2–4: Canadian high school diploma or higher (or ECA). ECAs must be under 5 years old. source
Proof of funds	$3,815 for one person up to $10,098 for seven, plus $1,028 per extra person (table updated July 29, 2025). Not needed if you already live and work in Canada on a valid work permit. source
PR fees	$1,590 per adult including the right of permanent residence fee, $270 per dependent child, as for other economic programs. source
2026 allocation	3,315 AIP allocation spaces for the four Atlantic provinces combined in 2026 (IRCC hasn't published a split by province we could find). source

Program updates

November 5, 2026
IRCC's 2027–2029 levels plan sets an admissions target of 6,000 AIP permanent residents a year for 2027, 2028 and 2029. source
November 4, 2025
IRCC's 2026–2028 levels plan set an AIP admissions target of 4,000 a year for 2026, 2027 and 2028. source
November 28, 2025
Nova Scotia moved AIP employer designations and endorsements to an Expression of Interest process. source

Provincial AIP pages

Nova Scotia — AIP
Designations and endorsements run through Nova Scotia's EOI process. official page
New Brunswick — AIP
New Brunswick's official AIP page, linked from IRCC. We couldn't load gnb.ca to verify its current rules. official page
Prince Edward Island — AIP
PEI's AIP employer designation application, linked from IRCC. official page
Newfoundland and Labrador — AIP
NL invites AIP candidates through its EOI rounds alongside the NLPNP; see the NLPNP page for round-by-round AIP invitations. official page

Official sources: www.canada.ca/…/atlantic-immigration.html · www.canada.ca/…/eligibility.html · www.canada.ca/…/endorsement.html · www.canada.ca/…/economic-immigration.html

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an LMIA for the Atlantic Immigration Program?+

No. IRCC says AIP job offers need a provincial endorsement instead, and employers don't need a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

What language score do I need for the AIP?+

CLB/NCLC 5 for a job offer in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, and CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4, with results less than 2 years old.

How much money do I need for the AIP?+

$3,815 for one person, up to $10,098 for a family of seven plus $1,028 per extra person, unless you already live and work in Canada with a valid work permit.

How long does AIP processing take?+

See our processing times page, which reads IRCC's official data for the Atlantic Immigration Program.