ATLANTIC IMMIGRATION PROGRAM (AIP)

Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

The Atlantic Immigration Program is designed to welcome additional new immigrants to the Atlantic Canada region to fill the needs of local employers and communities in Atlantic provinces. It continues to provide permanent resident status to thousands of immigrants each year, meeting the needs of local employers, and promotes population, workforce, and economic growth.

Atlantic Immigration Program is an employer-driven program facilitating the hiring of foreign workers. Applicants arriving in Canada under the program must have a job offer from a designated employer and a settlement plan for themselves and their dependents.

How to apply for AIP?

Apply for jobs in Atlantic provinces of Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island)
Employers that would like to hire skilled worker under the program must apply to the province(s) to receive designation
A valid job offer will be provided from a designated employer. Employers do not need to go through the process of applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Once the candidate accepts the job offer, the employer will connect the candidate with a designated settlement service provider organization to develop a settlement plan.
Get an endorsement certificate from the Atlantic province.
Prepare documentation such as Proof of Language proficiency, Proof of education, Proof of Work experience, Proof of Funds, Police certificate
If met AIP eligibility, then Apply for Work Permit application

AIP Eligibility

Have qualifying work experience unless you are an international student that graduated from a recognizedpost-secondary institution in Atlantic Provinces of Canada.
Meet the work experience requirements
Meet the educational requirements
Meet the language requirements
Show you have enough proof of funds. You do not need to show proof of funds if you are already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.

Work experience

You must have worked at least 1,560 hours within the last 5 years.

To calculate hours:

Count hours worked in full-time and part-time jobs
Count hours worked inside Canada or abroad. You must have been legally authorized to work in Canada as a temporary resident
Count hours that were accumulated over a period of at least 12 months
Count work experience you gained while you were studying as long as the work hours comply with the conditions of your study permit
Only count paid hours of work. Do not count volunteer or unpaid hours
Do not count self-employed work hours

The work experience needs to be under a National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER category of 0, 1, 2, or 3.

International Graduates

International students who graduated in Canada do not need to meet the work experience requirements if they:

Have a degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship certification that took at least 2 years of studies, and is from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic provinces
Were a full-time student during their entire studies
Had the visa or permit they needed to work, study, or get training while living in Canada
Lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months during the last 2 years before they completed studies

Educational Requirements

If your offer is at the NOC TEER category 0 or 1, you must have 1 year post-secondary educational credential or higher, or the equivalent outside of Canada
If your job offer is at the NOC TEER category 2, 3, or 4, you must have a Canadian high school diploma, or the equivalent outside of Canada.
You need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if you studied outside of Canada to confirm that your studies are equivalent to the Canadian educational standards needed for your job offer. The ECA report must be less than 5 years old on the date IRCC receives your application.

Language Requirements

For NOC TEER category 0 or 1 job offers, you need a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5.
For NOC TEER category 2, 3, or 4 job offers, you need a CLB 4.

You must submit to IRCC test results obtained from a designated language testing exam. The test results must be less than 2 years old when you apply.

Proof of Funds

If you are working with a valid work permit in Canada, you do not need to show proof of funds.
For all other applicants, you need to show you have enough money to support yourself and your family when you get to Canada. The amount depends on the size of your family. Please refer to the following table:

Number of family members (including those supported by the applicant, even if they are not included on the application)	Funds required
1	$3,303
2	$4,112
3	$5,055
4	$6,138
5	$6,962
6	$7,852
7 or more	$8,742
Each additional family member	$890