AIP Check: see if you meet the Atlantic Immigration Program requirements
The AIP has no points and no draw. It is a list of requirements that all need to be met, starting with a job offer from a designated employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. Answer the fields and see what is missing.
This check is an educational estimate built by Imigrando. It is not from the Government of Canada or the Atlantic provinces and does not replace a review by a regulated professional.
- The AIP is a permanent federal program since 2022, driven by the employer. There is no federal candidate pool. Without a designated employer offer there is no application.
- There are no points and no cutoff score. Each requirement is a pass or a fail, and just one fail is enough for the application not to be accepted.
- The process has two phases: endorsement by the province (Certificate of Endorsement, valid for 12 months) and the permanent residence application to IRCC.
- New Brunswick changed its rules on 03/02/2026. New employer designations are paused, candidates enter a monthly queue, the accommodation and food services sector is excluded, and recruitment outside Canada happens only through government initiatives.
- The federal AIP target for 2026 to 2028 is about 4.000 admissions per year, below previous years. IRCC processing time was 26 months in June 2026.
- By using the check you agree that your answers are stored anonymously (no name, email or phone) so we can improve the tool.
August 2026 rules. Always confirm on the IRCC and the province website before deciding.
Detailed Atlantic Immigration Program requirements
What the AIP requires from the offer, the employer and you. All items need to be met at the same time.
Job offer and designated employer
The offer is the entry point. Without an employer designated by the province there is no endorsement.
- The employer needs the designation from the province where the position is (Confirmation of Designation). The designation is free, issued per province, and requires complying with labour and immigration laws, working with a settlement service provider organization (SPO) and completing intercultural training.
- Recruitment and temporary staffing agencies cannot be designated. The offer needs to come from the employer who will actually employ you.
- The offer cannot come from a company where you or your spouse hold a majority ownership stake.
- Full time: at least 30 hours per week. Seasonal work is not accepted. The job needs to be continuous and paid all year.
- Duration: for an offer in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, at least 1 year counted from the date permanent residence is granted. For TEER 4, a permanent offer with no end date.
- TEER 5 occupations are not eligible. The level of the position needs to be equal to or higher than the level of your experience (see the compatibility table on the card beside this one).
- The offer is exempt from an LMIA (exemption R204(c), code C18). The employer sends the endorsement application to the province with the offer (IMM 0157) and your settlement plan.
- The Certificate of Endorsement is valid for 12 months and is not extended. The PR application needs to reach IRCC before it expires. If the province revokes the endorsement, IRCC refuses the application.
- With the province reference letter, you can apply for an AIP work permit of up to 2 years (employer specific) while the PR is being processed, on the commitment to apply for PR within 90 days.
- New Brunswick, since 03/02/2026: no new employer designations, endorsement applications enter a monthly queue and expire in 365 days, the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72) and occupations such as retail managers and supervisors, dispatchers and fish processing workers are excluded, and candidates outside Canada are accepted only through government led recruitment in health, education and construction.
Candidate requirements
Experience (or the graduate exemption), language, education and funds.
- Experience: at least 1.560 hours in the last 5 years (1 year full time at 30 hours a week, or the equivalent in part time), paid, inside or outside Canada, in one or more jobs.
- Not counted: self employment, unpaid internships and volunteer work. Hours in Canada only count with a valid work authorization for the period. The duties need to match the main NOC functions.
- TEER compatibility: an offer in TEER 0 accepts experience in TEER 0 to 4. TEER 1 accepts 1 to 4. TEER 2 accepts 2 to 4. TEER 3 accepts 3 or 4. TEER 4 accepts only TEER 4. Experience in TEER 5 does not count.
- Health exception: experience as a nurse (RN or LPN) can support an offer in a health occupation of a lower TEER, such as nursing aide or caregiver.
- Experience exemption for Atlantic graduates: a program of at least 2 years at a recognized public institution in NB, NS, PE or NL, graduation in the last 24 months, full time student status throughout the whole program and at least 16 of the 24 months before graduation living in the region with valid status.
- You lose the exemption if the program has 50% or more of its credits in language training, the program is 50% or more delivered at a distance, or the scholarship requires you to return to your home country. The other requirements (offer, language, funds) still apply.
- Language: CLB or NCLC 5 in all 4 skills for an offer in TEER 0 to 3, and CLB or NCLC 4 for TEER 4. Test less than 2 years old: CELPIP General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada.
- Education: an offer in TEER 0 or 1 requires a Canadian post secondary credential of at least 1 year or the equivalent. TEER 2, 3 or 4 requires a Canadian high school diploma or the equivalent. A foreign credential needs an ECA (WES, ICAS, CES, IQAS or ICES) less than 5 years old.
- Funds: $3,815 for 1 person, $4,750 for 2, $5,840 for 3, $7,090 for 4, $8,042 for 5, $9,070 for 6, $10,098 for 7 and $1,028 for each extra person (table from 29/07/2025). This counts the whole family, even those not coming. Anyone already living and working in Canada on a valid work permit is exempt.
- Settlement plan: you and your family need a plan made with a settlement service provider organization (SPO), in Canada or before arrival. The employer usually organizes this before the endorsement.
Process, fees and timelines
How the application moves forward, how much it costs and what changed in 2026.
- Step 1: the designated employer makes the offer and you get the settlement plan with an SPO.
- Step 2: the employer applies for endorsement to the province. Once approved, the province issues the Certificate of Endorsement (12 months) and, if requested, the reference letter for the work permit.
- Step 3: you submit the PR application to IRCC with the certificate, forms (IMM 0008, IMM 5669, IMM 5406, IMM 5562, IMM 5501, IMM 0157), language test, ECA, and proof of experience and funds.
- IRCC fees since 30/04/2026: $1,590 for the principal applicant (processing $990 and RPRF $600), $1,590 for the spouse and $270 per dependent child. Biometrics: $85 per person or $170 per family.
- Processing time: 26 months in June 2026 (it was 38 months in May). The program service standard is 11 months.
- Federal AIP target: about 4.000 admissions per year in 2026, 2027 and 2028 (range of 3.000 to 5.000), below previous years.
- Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador keep public lists of designated employers and prioritize health, trades and essential service occupations in international recruitment.
- After approval: medical exam, police certificates from each country where you lived 6 months or more since age 18, biometrics and passport for visa or COPR issuance.
Check the requirements
Fill in the fields and see how many requirements are met on the side. Everything runs in your browser.
Without a designated employer offer the AIP does not start.
New Brunswick has its own restrictions since 03/02/2026.
Each province publishes its list of designated employers.
Agencies cannot be designated.
A minority stake does not prevent it.
Five digits. The second digit indicates the TEER.
TEER 0 to 3: High skilled category. TEER 4: Intermediate skilled. TEER 5 is not eligible.
Full time is 30 hours or more.
TEER 0 to 3: 1 year counted from PR. TEER 4: permanent.
New Brunswick does not accept new endorsements in these cases since 03/02/2026.
The graduate exemption only waives the experience. Everything else still applies.
1.560 hours is 1 year full time. Part time counts by the hours.
Only paid work counts. In Canada, with a work authorization.
It needs to be at the same level as the position or a lower level, down to TEER 4.
The only exception to the compatibility table.
With valid study or work status during that period.
Any one of the three removes the exemption.
CELPIP General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada.
Minimum of CLB 5 in all 4 skills for TEER 0 to 3, and CLB 4 for TEER 4.
TEER 0 or 1 requires post secondary education of 1 year. TEER 2 to 4 requires high school.
WES, ICAS, CES, IQAS or ICES. Doctors, pharmacists and architects use their professional regulatory body.
If yes, you are exempt from proving funds.
You, your spouse and dependent children, even those not coming.
Unencumbered money, no loans from third parties and not counting property.
The employer usually organizes this before the endorsement.
Those outside Canada can apply for PR from abroad.
All of them need to be met. There is no partial approval in the AIP.
Requirements check
What to do with this result
If any requirement failed, see what is missing (language, ECA, hours of experience or funds) and fix it before the employer applies for the endorsement. If everything passed, the next step is the formal offer (IMM 0157) and the settlement plan. We can review your case and the employer's.
Other calculators: OINP Calculator ยท BC PNP Calculator ยท AAIP Calculator (Alberta)