Wait time for Atlantic Immigration Program applicants drops by 12 months
The processing time for permanent residence applications through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) has dropped by a full year.
As of June 8, 2026, the expected wait time for a decision on a newly-submitted AIP application is 26 months. As of May 12, 2026, it was 38 months.
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This month’s AIP processing time is the lowest the immigration department has published since fall 2025, when wait times nearly tripled in one month, rising from 13 months in September to 37 months in October—a 184.6% month-over-month increase.
Since then, AIP processing times have remained well above the immigration department’s 11-month service standard:
| 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 spike in processing times last fall left many in-Canada AIP applicants at risk of losing their work authorization.
AIP applicants are eligible for a special work permit exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment process, but AIP work permits are issued only for up to two years, and are non-renewable.
And unlike applicants to many other permanent residence programs, AIP applicants are not eligible for bridging open work permits.
Holding only two-year work permits and facing processing times exceeding three years, many AIP applicants had been set to lose work authorization before they could expect 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, allowing them to apply for C18 closed work permits and continue working while awaiting a decision.
The AIP is an employer-driven pathway to permanent residence. To qualify, a foreign national must have a job offer from an employer designated by New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island.
The job offer must be endorsed by the province.
The worker must also meet minimum requirements for language proficiency, work experience, education, and settlement funds.
As of June 8, 2026, there were 12,900 AIP applications awaiting processing in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s inventory.
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