AIP is a permanent program that grew out of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. It is employer-driven: you need a full-time job offer from an employer designated by one of the four Atlantic provinces, and the employer must commit to supporting your settlement. You then work with a designated settlement service provider to prepare a settlement plan, the employer applies to the province for endorsement of your job offer, and once endorsed you apply to IRCC for permanent residence. The steps are sequential, and delays usually arise at the employer or endorsement stage rather than the federal one.
Candidates qualify as skilled workers with at least a year of relevant experience within the last five years, or as international graduates of a recognized Atlantic institution, who in that case do not need work experience. Language, education and settlement fund requirements vary with the TEER category of the job. The program does not run on CRS points, so it is often the most realistic route for candidates whose Express Entry score is not competitive.
Employers who are not yet designated can apply to their province, and we assist them with designation, the required intercultural competency training and the endorsement application, because a strong employer file is what makes the applicant’s file possible. Where the permanent residence application will take time, a temporary work permit tied to the program lets you start work while it is processed.
Who this is for
- Skilled workers abroad or in Canada with a job offer from a designated Atlantic employer
- International graduates of a recognized post-secondary institution in one of the four Atlantic provinces
- Temporary foreign workers in Atlantic Canada whose employers want to retain them permanently
- Atlantic employers who need designation and help with endorsement to hire from abroad
- Candidates with a low CRS score who are open to settling in the Atlantic region
What we do
- Confirm your eligibility as a skilled worker or international graduate, and the TEER category of the offered position
- Guide employers through provincial designation and the endorsement application
- Coordinate your settlement plan with a designated settlement service provider
- Prepare the endorsement package and, once endorsed, the complete permanent residence application
- File a program-specific work permit so you can start work while the permanent residence application is processed
- Respond to provincial and IRCC requests and track the file to landing
How it works
- 1
Eligibility and employer check
We confirm you meet the skilled worker or graduate criteria and that the employer is designated, or guide them through designation.
- 2
Settlement plan and endorsement
We connect you with a settlement service provider, prepare the settlement plan and assemble the employer’s endorsement application to the province.
- 3
Permanent residence application
With the endorsement certificate issued, we prepare and file the complete application to IRCC, along with a work permit where you need to start sooner.
- 4
Follow-up and landing
We respond to requests, coordinate medicals and biometrics, and stay with you until permanent residence is confirmed.