Processing times for Canada’s Atlantic Immigration Program have fallen sharply, dropping from 38 months in May 2026 to 26 months as of June 8, 2026. The improvement reduces the expected wait for new permanent residence applications by 12 months, but processing remains well above the immigration department’s 11-month service standard.
The Atlantic Immigration Program, or AIP, is an employer-driven pathway to Canadian permanent residence for foreign nationals with qualifying job offers in Atlantic Canada.
As of June 8, 2026, the expected processing time for a newly submitted AIP permanent residence application was 26 months. On May 12, 2026, the expected wait time had been 38 months.
This is the lowest AIP processing time published since fall 2025, when wait times nearly tripled in one month. Processing rose from 13 months in September 2025 to 37 months in October 2025, a 184.6% month-over-month increase.
Recent AIP processing times were:
| Month | Processing time |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 13 months |
| October 2025 | 37 months |
| November 2025 | 37 months |
| December 2025 | 37 months |
| January 2026 | 33 months |
| February 2026 | 33 months |
| March 2026 | 33 months |
| April 2026 | 40 months |
| May 2026 | 38 months |
| June 2026 | 26 months |
The long processing times created a serious problem for in-Canada AIP applicants. AIP applicants can qualify for a special work permit that is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment process, but these work permits are issued for a maximum of two years and are non-renewable.
Unlike applicants in many other permanent residence programs, AIP applicants are not eligible for bridging open work permits.
That meant many applicants with two-year AIP work permits were facing permanent residence processing times of more than three years, putting them at risk of losing work authorization before receiving a decision on their permanent residence applications.
In response, Atlantic provinces issued letters of support to AIP endorsees whose work permits were set to expire. These letters allowed affected applicants to apply for C18 closed work permits and continue working while awaiting a permanent residence decision.
Who Can Qualify Under the Atlantic Immigration Program
The AIP is available to foreign nationals with a job offer from an employer designated by one of the four Atlantic provinces:
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island
The job offer must also be endorsed by the province.
Applicants must meet minimum requirements for:
- Language proficiency
- Work experience
- Education
- Settlement funds
As of June 8, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada had 12,900 AIP applications awaiting processing in its inventory.
The drop to 26 months is a significant improvement from the previous 38-month wait, but the program remains far slower than its 11-month service standard. Applicants in Canada still need to plan carefully around work permit expiry, especially because standard AIP work permits are limited to two years and cannot be renewed.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
