Settling In
The Atlantic Immigration Program: PEI's Employer-Driven Alternative to PNP
No CRS score, no LMIA, but a designated employer is non-negotiable. How the Atlantic Immigration Program's three streams actually work for a PEI job offer.
1. Three Streams, Not High-Wage/Low-Wage Tiers
Unlike some other federal-provincial programs, the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) doesn't split by wage level. It splits by applicant profile, across all four Atlantic provinces including PEI:
| Stream | Who it's for | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| AHSP (skilled workers) | TEER 0-3 job offer | 1+ year of relevant work experience in the past 3 years |
| AISP (intermediate workers) | TEER 4 job offer | 1+ year of relevant work experience in the past 3 years |
| AIGP (international graduates) | Recent graduates of an Atlantic institution | No work experience required |
2. Employer Designation Is the Real Gatekeeper
Only employers formally designated by a provincial government can make a valid AIP job offer — full stop. Designation is a one-time process, free to apply for, requiring the business to have operated continuously under the same management for at least 2 years in the Atlantic region and to be in good standing with employment standards and immigration law. A PEI-designated employer cannot use that designation to hire for a position in another Atlantic province.
3. What the Job Offer Itself Must Look Like
- Genuine — a real position, not created to enable an immigration application
- Full-time — generally at least 30 hours per week
- Non-seasonal, with a minimum duration of 1 year
- Paid at or above the prevailing wage for the occupation and region
- At the correct TEER level for the stream (0-3 for AHSP/AIGP, 4 for AISP)
4. Why Candidates Choose AIP Over Express Entry
- No Comprehensive Ranking System score is required
- LMIA-exempt, since the province's endorsement replaces the labour market test
- No fixed age cutoff
- The graduate stream (AIGP) waives the work-experience requirement entirely for recent graduates of Atlantic institutions
Across all four Atlantic provinces combined, AIP allocates roughly 6,000 spots per year, with typical processing timelines of 12 to 18 months.
5. The Application Sequence
- A designated employer offers you a genuine job.
- You're connected with a settlement service provider to build a mandatory settlement plan.
- Your employer submits your settlement plan and endorsement application to the province.
- You receive a provincial endorsement certificate and, if needed, a work permit support letter.
- You submit your permanent residence application to IRCC along with the endorsement certificate.