The Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP)

The Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP) offers permanent residence to skilled workers wishing to settle in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

AIP overview

The Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP) is designed to welcome more newcomers to Atlantic Canada in order to meet the needs of local employers and communities.

The Atlantic Canada region participating in the AIP comprises the 4 provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

The programme allows designated local employers to identify, recruit and retain global talent. It also aims to support population growth, develop a skilled workforce, and raise employment rates across the region.

The Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP) has proved a considerable success for immigrants, employers and the Atlantic region alike. It continues to provide permanent resident status to thousands of immigrants each year, addressing the needs of local employers while driving population, workforce and economic growth.

How the AIP works

The Atlantic Immigration Programme (AIP) is an employer-driven programme that facilitates the recruitment of foreign nationals. Every principal applicant coming to Canada under the programme must hold a job offer from a designated employer and an individualised settlement plan for themselves and their family.

When a designated employer finds a candidate who meets its hiring needs and the programme criteria, that employer must first make a job offer. Employers participating in the AIP do not need to go through the process of obtaining anThe Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Once the candidate accepts the job, the AIP employer connects them with a designated settlement service provider organisation to assess their needs and develop a settlement plan. The employer also provides long-term integration support to the new immigrant and their family, where applicable, so that they can meet the goals of the settlement plan on arrival in Canada.

Employers who need to fill a vacancy quickly have access to a temporary work permit option, so that the candidate and their family can come to Canada as soon as possible. To obtain this work permit, the candidate needs:

• A valid job offer.
• A letter from the province.
• A commitment to apply for permanent residence within 90 days of applying for the temporary work permit.

Designated employers under the AIP

Employers wishing to recruit skilled immigrant workers under the programme must apply to the province for designation. Employers with locations in more than one province need a separate designation for each. Employers must meet certain requirements, including a commitment to support newcomers and their families as they settle into their new life in Atlantic Canada.

• The list of designated employers under the AIP in New Brunswick.
• The list of designated employers under the AIP in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• The list of designated employers under the AIP in Nova Scotia.
• The list of designated employers under the AIP in Prince Edward Island.

Requirements for candidates

To be eligible for the AIP, a candidate must:

• Have qualifying work experience, unless they are an international graduate of arecognised post-secondary institutionin Atlantic Canada.
• Meet the education criteria.
• Meet the language criteria.
• Show sufficient settlement funds (a candidate need not show settlement funds if they have already been living and working in Canada on a valid work permit).

Candidates who meet all of the above criteria can begin looking for work with a designated employer in Atlantic Canada.

Work experience

A candidate must have worked at least 1,560 hours within the past 5 years.

In counting those hours:

• Count hours worked in both full-time and part-time jobs.
• Count only paid hours. Do not count volunteer or unpaid hours.
• Do not count hours of self-employment.
• Hours worked inside or outside Canada may be counted. The candidate must have been authorised to work lawfully in Canada as a temporary resident.
• Count hours accumulated over a period of at least 12 months.
• Work experience gained while studying may be counted if the hours worked complied with the conditions of the study permit.
• The work experience must fall withinNational Occupational Classification (NOC)TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3.

A candidate’s work experience must include the actions described in the lead statement of their NOC and most of the main duties of that NOC.

International graduates

International graduates in Canada need not meet the work experience requirement if they:

• Hold a degree, diploma, certificate or trade/apprenticeship credential from a programme of at least 2 years’ duration at a recognised post-secondary institution in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Were a full-time student throughout their studies.
• Held the visa or permit required to work, study or train while living in Canada.
• Lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the 2 years before graduating.

Education requirements

• If the job offer falls within NOC TEER category 0 or 1, the candidate must hold a post-secondary credential of at least one year, or the equivalent obtained outside Canada.
• If the job offer falls within NOC TEER category 2, 3 or 4, the candidate must hold a Canadian secondary school diploma, or the equivalent obtained outside Canada.

Candidates who studied outside Canada need to obtain anEducational Credential Assessment (ECA)to confirm that their qualifications are equivalent to the Canadian education standard required for the job offer. The ECA report must be no more than 5 years old as at the dateImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)receives the candidate’s application.

Language requirements

• For a job offer within NOC TEER category 0 or 1, the candidate must reachCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 5.
• For a job offer within NOC TEER category 2, 3 or 4, the candidate must reach CLB or NCLC level 4.

Candidates must submit test results from a designated language testing organisation to IRCC. Test results must be no more than 2 years old at the time of application.

Settlement funds

• Candidates who have already been living in Canada and working on a valid work permit need not show settlement funds.
• All other candidates must show that they have enough money to support themselves and their family on arrival in Canada. The amount required depends on family size, and family size includes anyone the candidate supports who is not immigrating with them. The number of family members must include everyone the candidate supports, even if they are not included in the immigration application.

Number of family members	Funds required
1	$3.303 CAD
2	$4.112 CAD
3	$5.055 CAD
4	$6.138 CAD
5	$6.962 CAD
6	$7.852 CAD
7 or more	$8.742 CAD
Each additional family member	$890 CAD

Other pathways

The Atlantic provinces have been active in immigration in recent years, chiefly through theProvincial Nominee Program (PNP). Through these programmes, the provinces have welcomed many skilled workers, international graduates of Canadian institutions, and business immigrants such as entrepreneurs.

Each Atlantic province has at least one PNP stream aligned with the federalExpress Entrysystem, allowing candidates in the Express Entry pool who qualify to immigrate through one of these streams to apply to immigrate to the province concerned.

The Atlantic Canada PNP options are:

• Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
• New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
• Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)
• Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)