Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) β permanent residence through a Nova Scotia employer.
AIP is a federal economic immigration program designed for the four Atlantic provinces. If you have a full-time job offer from a designated employer in Nova Scotia β or you can realistically obtain one β AIP is often the most direct route to PR.
You’re a real candidate for AIP if all of these are true.
Take 30 seconds. If you can’t tick most of these, AIP probably isn’t your door β and that’s worth knowing now.
- You have, or can realistically secure, a job offer from an AIP-designated employer in Nova Scotia. Designation is the employer’s responsibility, not yours β but the offer must come from an employer who has it (or is in the process of getting it).
- The offer fits one of the two AIP categories. High-Skilled (NOC TEER 0β3) or Intermediate-Skilled (TEER 4).
- Your work experience matches the category. At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of relevant paid work in the last 5 years.
- Your language ability meets the minimum. CLB 5 in English or French (some categories require higher). IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF accepted.(CLB 4 for TEER 4)
- Your education meets the minimum. Canadian high school equivalent or higher, with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if your credentials are foreign.
- You can show settlement funds, or you’re already in Canada with a valid work permit. The amount depends on family size and is updated annually.
Three reasons AIP is the right tool when it fits.
AIP became a permanent program in 2022 after running as a successful pilot. That permanence matters: you’re not racing a deadline on a program that might disappear.
Designed around employers, not points. Unlike Express Entry β where your CRS score competes against a national pool β AIP turns on the strength of a real, full-time job offer from a designated employer. If the offer is solid and the employer is genuine, the program does what it’s designed to do.
Faster than many federal alternatives. A well-prepared AIP file can move from endorsement application to landed PR in roughly 12β18 months of active processing. That’s competitive with β and often faster than β Express Entry routes that depend on draws.
Built for Atlantic Canada’s actual labour needs. Nova Scotia has genuine, ongoing demand in healthcare, IT, skilled trades, hospitality, and transportation. AIP exists because the region is short of workers, not because the door is being held open out of generosity. That’s a structural advantage worth understanding before you apply.
One consultant. Every step. End to end.
When you retain me for an AIP file, the scope is the whole thing β not a slice of it.
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1
Eligibility assessment and NOC analysis. I confirm β in writing β whether AIP is your strongest path before you commit to it. If a different program fits better, I tell you.
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2
Employer due diligence. I check that your prospective employer’s designation status is current, that the offer letter meets AIP’s specific requirements, and that the role’s NOC code and wage match what the program expects.
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3
Document strategy and preparation. ECA, language test scheduling, work experience evidence, reference letters drafted to AIP standards β I prepare or coordinate everything.
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4
Settlement plan coordination. AIP requires a settlement plan from an approved provider. I introduce you to the right service and review the plan before submission.
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5
Provincial endorsement application. I prepare and file the endorsement package with the Province of Nova Scotia when necessary.
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6
PR application to IRCC. Once endorsed, I file your PR application and manage every communication with IRCC, including responses to procedural fairness letters or requests for additional documents.
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7
Landing and post-PR follow-up. I walk you through your Confirmation of Permanent Residence, the landing process, and the early steps of life as a PR (PR card, SIN, healthcare, etc.).
What the months actually look like.
Below is a realistic timeline assuming a designated employer offer is in hand or close to it. Total elapsed time is typically 12β18 months from engagement to landing.
Initial consultation, document review, written eligibility opinion, retainer signed, game plan agreed.
You sit your language test and order your ECA. I prepare reference letters, employer letters, and coordinate the settlement plan with an approved provider.
I file the endorsement package with the Province of Nova Scotia. Processing time varies; you don’t need to do anything during this window unless additional documents are requested.
Once endorsed, I file your PR application. You may need to complete medicals and biometrics during this phase. I manage all communication with IRCC.
You receive your Confirmation of Permanent Residence. I walk you through landing, applying for your PR card, SIN, and provincial healthcare.
When AIP isn’t the right door.
Most consultant websites won’t tell you this. I think you should know up front, because finding out 6 months in is far more expensive β for you and for me.
AIP probably isn’t your program if:
- You don’t have a job offer from a designated Atlantic employer, and you don’t have a realistic path to obtaining one (e.g. no relevant work experience, no targeted job search underway).
- Your job offer is part-time, seasonal, or shorter than the duration your stream requires.
- Your work experience doesn’t match the NOC TEER level the program requires for your category.
- Your language test scores fall below CLB 5 (or higher, depending on category).
- You don’t have a Canadian high school equivalent or higher, and no path to obtaining an ECA that confirms it.
- You can’t show settlement funds and you’re not already legally working in Canada.
- Your prospective employer’s AIP designation has lapsed, been revoked, or is under provincial review.
Tsung Ju Tsai, RCIC (R712983)
I’m a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and an immigrant myself. Before Canada, I spent seven and a half years as a legal specialist in Taiwan β the kind of procedural work that AIP’s documentation rewards.
Vizaut is a solo practice on purpose. When you hire me for AIP, the file doesn’t get handed to a paralegal. You work with me, from the first call to the day you land.
Questions clients usually ask first.
I don’t place candidates with employers β that’s recruitment, not immigration consulting. What I do is help you understand which employers in NS are AIP-designated, advise on how to position your candidacy, and make sure that once you have a real offer, the application itself is rock-solid. Many clients secure offers through their own networks, LinkedIn, or industry-specific job boards.
Two options. The employer can apply to become designated β it’s a real process and not all employers want to take it on. Or you can shift to a different program (often NSNP Skilled Worker, which doesn’t require designation). I’ll help you assess which is more realistic in your specific case.
From engagement to landed PR, typically 12β18 months. The biggest variables are how quickly you assemble your documents (language test, ECA, reference letters), and the current processing times at the Province and at IRCC. I’ll give you a more specific estimate once I’ve reviewed your file.
Yes. Spouse and dependent children are included in your AIP application as accompanying family. Your spouse may also be eligible for an open work permit during processing, and children for study permits. I handle all of these as part of the engagement.
Refusals happen β usually for reasons that were either preventable (documentation gaps, NOC misalignment) or structural (employer designation issue, eligibility miss). Depending on the reason, options include reconsideration requests, appeals, judicial review, or reapplying once the underlying issue is fixed. I’ll tell you honestly which option, if any, is worth pursuing.
No. Once you have permanent residence, you’re free to change employers, move provinces, or change careers β same as any other PR. There is, however, an expectation of good-faith intent at the time of application. I’ll explain what that means in practice during our consultation.
Ready to find out if AIP is your door?
Book a consultation. I’ll give you an honest read on whether AIP is realistic in your case β and if it isn’t, which program is.
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