AIP Document Checklist: What You Need for Endorsement and Federal PR

The Atlantic Immigration Program has two distinct documentation stages: the provincial endorsement and the federal PR application. Each has different requirements, and documents have expiry dates that create timing traps for applicants who prepare too early or move too slowly. Here's what you need and when.

Documents You Need Before Anything Else

Several documents take weeks or months to obtain and should be ordered as early as possible.

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). If your education credentials are from outside Canada, you need an ECA from an IRCC-approved organization — WES (World Education Services) and ICAS are the most common. Turnaround time is typically 4–8 weeks. The ECA must be less than five years old at the time of your federal PR submission. If your credentials are from Canada, no ECA is required.

Language test results. Book IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, TEF Canada, or TCF Canada as early as possible. Language test results must be less than two years old at the time of your federal submission — not at the time of the provincial endorsement. If your endorsement takes three months and your language test is 20 months old, you may need to retest before submitting federally.

Police certificates. Required from every country where you've lived for six or more months since age 18. Some jurisdictions (India, China, Nigeria, Philippines) take 4–10 weeks. The certificates must be recent — generally less than six months old at the time of your federal submission. Don't order these too early.

Provincial Endorsement Stage Documents

The endorsement application is primarily submitted by your employer through the provincial portal, but these are the documents you and your employer need to have in order:

From the employer:

• Completed IMM 0157 (Offer of Employment to a Foreign National — AIP). This replaces the older IMM 5650. The form must include NOC code, wage, hours, duration, and benefits.
• Proof of employer's designation status with the province.
• Employer's compliance training certificates (IRCC onboarding and, in Nova Scotia, intercultural competency training).

From you (the candidate):

• Valid passport (and those of accompanying family members)
• Language test results (less than 2 years old at time of federal submission, but current at endorsement)
• Educational credentials and ECA report
• Evidence of work experience (employment letters, pay stubs, T4 slips, or equivalent)
• Completed settlement plan, co-signed by your employer (obtained through an approved SPO)

For the graduate stream:

• Proof of graduation from a recognized Atlantic institution
• Evidence of Atlantic residency for 16 of the 24 months before graduation (lease agreements, utility bills, bank statements with Atlantic address)
• Proof of continuous full-time enrollment

Once the province approves the endorsement, you receive a Certificate of Endorsement and, typically, a Provincial Referral Letter for the optional C18 work permit.

Optional: C18 Work Permit Documents

If you're applying for the LMIA-exempt C18 work permit while your PR is in process:

• Certificate of Endorsement
• Provincial Referral Letter
• Offer of Employment Number (generated by employer through IRCC Employer Portal after paying the $230 compliance fee)
• IMM 0156 (Undertaking for a Work Permit Exempted from LMIA as Part of AIP) — your commitment to apply for PR within 90 days of the work permit application
• Standard work permit application forms (IMM 1295 or online equivalent)
• Passport photos and valid passport
• Work permit application fee: $155

Federal PR Application Documents

Once you have the Certificate of Endorsement, you can submit the full PR application through the IRCC Online Permanent Residence Portal.

Core application forms:

• IMM 0008 (Generic Application Form for Canada)
• Schedule A (Background/Declaration)
• IMM 5501 (Economic Classes — specifically for AIP)
• IMM 0157 (the same job offer form, included in the federal package)

Identity and status:

• Valid passport (all pages) for you and all family members
• Current immigration status documents if you're already in Canada (study permit, work permit, PGWP)
• Marriage certificate or proof of common-law relationship (if applicable)
• Birth certificates for dependent children

Language:

• Language test results — must be less than two years old at the time of federal submission

Education:

• Degree/diploma/certificates and transcripts
• ECA report for foreign credentials (must be less than five years old at federal submission)

Work experience (High-Skilled and Intermediate-Skilled streams only):

• Employment letters for each position, on company letterhead, including: job title, NOC code, start and end dates, hours per week, and supervisor signature
• Pay stubs, T4s, or other proof of paid employment
• Tax returns (if applicable)

Provincial documents:

• Certificate of Endorsement (must be valid at time of federal submission; endorsements have a validity window — submit federally before it expires)

Admissibility documents:

• Police certificates from every country where you lived for 6+ months since age 18 (less than 6 months old at submission)
• Medical exam results from an IRCC-approved panel physician (valid for 12 months)

Financial:

• Proof of settlement funds if not currently working in Canada on a valid work permit (effective July 2025: $3,815 CAD for one person, $4,750 for two, $5,840 for three)

Document Expiry Tracking

The most common cause of federal refusals is document expiry. Create a tracking spreadsheet with these key dates:

Certified Translations

Any document not in English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation. This includes:

• Foreign police certificates
• Foreign educational credentials
• Foreign employment records
• Identity documents in other languages

IRCC does not accept translations done by the applicant or a family member. Use a certified translator.

For a complete document checklist with fillable fields and provincial-specific requirements — including how to obtain employment letters that satisfy IRCC's work experience verification standards — the Canada Atlantic Immigration Program Guide includes this as a printable reference.