Atlantic Immigration Program

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) leads to permanent residence through a job with an approved employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. This page is for workers and students, in Canada or abroad, who want to know how it works in 2026 and whether it fits them.

What the AIP is

The AIP is a permanent federal program, no longer a pilot. It is run jointly by IRCC and the four Atlantic provinces, and it is employer-driven: you cannot apply on your own. Three things are needed:

a job offer from a designated employer in one of the four provinces;
an endorsement certificate from that province;
a settlement plan for you and your family.

Only then can you apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

The job offer

Not every employer can hire through the AIP. The employer must first be designated by the province, which means it has shown it can support newcomers. The job offer must then be:

full-time (at least 30 hours a week) and non-seasonal;
for a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job, at least one year long from the date you become a permanent resident;
for a TEER 4 job, permanent (no end date).

You cannot hold a majority share of the business that is offering you the job. The employer works with the province on the endorsement, and the province decides whether to endorse you.

The other requirements

IRCC also sets work experience, language, education and settlement-funds requirements. Graduates of Atlantic institutions who meet the conditions do not need the work experience. The exact language levels, education and funds amounts are on IRCC's eligibility page, and they depend on the job's TEER level; we check them against that page for your case rather than repeat them here.

How many people the AIP takes

Under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada plans 4,000 AIP admissions a year from 2026 to 2028. The four provinces received 3,315 AIP endorsement spaces for 2026, shared between them. Each province decides how to use its share and sets its own priorities.

Because the numbers are small, provinces can fill their share before the year ends.

New Brunswick in 2026

New Brunswick has made two changes this year:

since February 2026, AIP endorsements come from a monthly candidate pool;
on 14 September 2026, New Brunswick paused new employer designation applications. An employer that is not yet designated in New Brunswick cannot apply for now.

On the same date, New Brunswick lifted its restriction on accommodation and food services jobs for AIP endorsements. The province's important notices page is the place to check before an employer or candidate relies on any of this.

For a worker abroad, the practical point is simple: a job offer only counts if the employer is already designated, or can still become designated in its province.

Students in Atlantic Canada

The old Polinsys advice — that the Atlantic provinces deserve a close look from students planning permanent residence — still holds, with today's rules:

An Atlantic graduate who meets IRCC's conditions is exempt from the AIP work experience requirement. A job offer from a designated employer after graduation is then the key step.
The provinces also have their own graduate routes: the Nova Scotia Graduate stream, New Brunswick's NB Graduates pathway and Newfoundland and Labrador's International Graduate category (see Provincial Nominee Programs).
Study permits are capped, and most college and undergraduate students need a provincial attestation letter from the province where they will study. Master's and doctoral students at public institutions have been exempt since January 2026.

Choose the program and the institution with permanent residence in mind, not only the cost. Our Study in Canada page explains the student rules.

Common mistakes

Accepting a job offer from an employer that is not designated. It may be a real job, but it will not lead to an AIP endorsement.
Paying for a job offer. A real employer does not sell jobs. Anyone asking you to pay for an offer or an endorsement should be treated as a fraud risk.
Planning around last year's rules. Provinces change their priorities, pause intake and lift restrictions during the year.

How Polinsys helps

Joy Stephen, RCIC (CICC licence R419719), gives you an honest written assessment before any fee: whether your occupation, experience, language and education fit the AIP, whether a provincial or employer-driven route would serve you better, and — for students — which Atlantic programs fit a permanent residence plan. If you go ahead, we prepare your permanent residence application once you are endorsed, and keep watching each province's changes for you. Ask your questions first at our free Friday Q&A: FREE Webinars: Resource Guides and AR Q&A.