Atlantic Immigration Program
Listed with IRCC’s active programs (not on its paused or closed list). Read on IRCC’s page on November 9, 2026.
The Atlantic Immigration Program gives permanent residence to skilled workers and recent graduates with a job offer from a designated employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. It is for people who intend to live in that province. The province must endorse you before you apply to IRCC.
Who is eligible
- An endorsement certificate from the Atlantic province, valid when you apply (IRPR s 87.3(2)(a)).
- Intention to live in that province.
- Qualifying work experience, or the recent-graduate requirements, set out in IRPR s 87.3.
- A qualifying job offer from a designated employer, the education requirement, and language results at the Minister’s threshold.
- Settlement funds unless you are already authorized to work and working in Canada (IRPR s 87.3(2)(g)).
Steps
- Get a job offer from an employer the province has designated.
- Your employer applies to the province for your endorsement.
- Once endorsed, apply to IRCC for permanent residence. IRCC says a temporary work permit may be possible with a referral letter from the province.
Documents you’ll usually need
- Endorsement certificate.
- Job offer.
- Language test results.
- Education documents (and assessment if foreign).
- Proof of funds if required.
What the law says
“are named in an endorsement certificate issued by the government of an Atlantic province”
Membership in the Atlantic immigration class: endorsement, intention to reside, experience or graduate route, job offer, education, language and funds.
Official IRCC pages
Program rules not written in the statute, plus current fees and processing times, are on IRCC’s own pages:
Common mistakes
- Accepting a job from an employer that isn’t designated by the province.
- Applying to IRCC before the endorsement is issued.
Frequently asked questions
Which provinces are in the Atlantic Immigration Program?
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador (IRPR s 73(1) definition of “Atlantic province”).
Policy analysis
- Canada’s 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan: what changed, and what it means if you’re already here
The 2027–2029 plan holds permanent admissions at 380,000 a year and new temporary arrivals at 370,000, and adds a one-time 2027 measure for up to 200,000 people already in Canada.
Related streams
- Provincial Nominee Program Open
A province or territory nominates you for permanent residence based on its own labour needs.
- Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots Pilot
Pilots that offer permanent residence to skilled workers with a job offer in a participating community.
- Express Entry Invitation-only
The online system IRCC uses to invite skilled workers to apply for permanent residence.