For a tradesperson abroad who can land a job offer, the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is one of the most accessible routes to permanent residence Canada offers. It is a federal, employer-led pathway to settle in one of the four Atlantic provinces, and it suits trades work unusually well: the language bar is lower than Express Entry, there is no minimum-education hurdle for the skill levels most trades fall under, and the employer absorbs much of the administrative complexity. The catch is in the name: it is employer-led, so you cannot apply on your own. You need a designated Atlantic employer first.
What the AIP is
The AIP is a permanent program (it has been permanent since 2022, not a pilot) and a pathway to permanent residence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador. Unlike Express Entry, it does not run on a CRS score. Instead, an employer designated by the province offers you a job, the province endorses you, and you apply for permanent residence on the strength of that endorsement. The employer and the province carry the parts of the process that an applicant would otherwise navigate alone.
Who qualifies
As a skilled worker (rather than a recent Atlantic graduate, who has a separate route), you generally need:
- Work experience: at least 1,560 hours of paid work, roughly a year full-time, in the past five years.
- An eligible skill level: the job offer must be at National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 2, 3, or 4. That band is important because it means semi-skilled construction roles qualify, not only fully certified journeypersons. Many trades and trades-adjacent jobs sit squarely in this range.
- Language: Canadian Language Benchmark or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (CLB/NCLC) 4. That is a lower bar than the FSTP, which is part of why the AIP suits so many trades workers.
- A settlement plan: you must work with a settlement service provider to build a settlement plan before you apply for permanent residence.
- Proof of funds: unless you are already working in Canada on a valid work permit. The AIP has its own settlement-fund thresholds, which are lower than the Express Entry proof-of-funds figure. Verify the current amount at IRCC.
The employer-led process, step by step
You cannot apply independently. The sequence is:
- Secure a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada.
- The employer connects you with a settlement service provider, and you create your settlement plan.
- The employer applies for, and the province issues, a Certificate of Endorsement.
- With the endorsement, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
Because the employer and province drive the early steps, the heavy lifting that an Express Entry applicant does alone is shared.
Why it suits trades workers
Three things line up in the trades' favour. The language requirement is lower than the FSTP. There is no minimum-education hurdle for TEER 2 to 4 jobs, so a skilled worker without formal qualifications beyond the trade itself is not shut out. And the employer absorbs much of the complexity, with the job offer secured before the permanent-residence application even begins, which removes the uncertainty of applying first and job-hunting later.
The honest limitations
Two caveats. First, the AIP has annual allocations that can move, and intake conditions change; treat any figure you read as volatile and verify the current intake status at IRCC and the provincial immigration website. Second, the real bottleneck is finding a designated employer willing to hire from overseas. Designation is something the employer chooses to take on, and not every Atlantic trades firm has done so. Processing times for the program also shift; do not rely on a number you have seen, and check the current estimate at IRCC.
How to find designated employers
Approach Atlantic Canada construction and trades companies directly, and use the provincial immigration websites, which list or signpost designated employers by sector. Framing your approach around your trade experience, your willingness to complete provincial certification, and any safety tickets you can gain quickly makes you an easier hire. The wider strategy for winning a Canadian offer from outside the country is in Getting a Canadian Job Offer From Abroad.
Common mistakes
- Trying to apply without an employer. The AIP cannot start without a designated employer's job offer. The job comes first.
- Skipping the settlement plan. It is a required step, not an optional extra, and you build it before the permanent-residence application.
- Assuming the allocation and processing time are fixed. Both move. Verify the current intake status and timeline at IRCC.
- Overlooking semi-skilled roles. TEER 4 jobs qualify, so do not rule yourself out if your offer is not a fully certified journeyperson role.
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