The federal government has implemented new rules for Atlantic Immigration Program applicants who experience changes in employment or employer ownership. These updates include a strict 90-day deadline for submitting required documents, which can lead to the refusal of permanent residence applications if not met. The immigration department's updated instructions to officers were published on July 23, 2026.

Prior to this change, there was no deadline for applicants to submit documents when their employment or employer ownership changed. Applications were simply put on hold. The new instructions specify different documents and set out specific rules for three scenarios: a change in ownership of the applicant's employer, the applicant changing roles at the same employer, and the applicant changing from one designated employer to another. Requirements related to AIP-specific work permits have been dropped from these instructions and are now covered in a different document.

The Atlantic Immigration Program, or AIP, is an employer-driven pathway to permanent residence for those seeking to settle in one of Canada's four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Before these updates, there were no specific rules relating to a change in employer ownership, and previous guidance for same-employer changes was a general statement.

AIP applicants facing employment changes or employer ownership changes now have a strict 90-day deadline to submit required documents, or their permanent residence application will be refused. The updated instructions also specify a different set of documents than was previously required. Due to long processing times, which have been 26 months since June of this year, many in-Canada AIP applicants are at risk of losing their work authorization. Unlike applicants to many other permanent residence programs, AIP applicants are not eligible for bridging open work permits. However, AIP applicants have the opportunity to apply for a two-year work permit tied to the employer who issued the job offer supporting their application, and spouses and common-law partners may also be eligible to apply for an open work permit.

Officers are now instructed to issue a procedural fairness letter advising applicants of the required documents and the 90-day deadline. If an applicant's employer changes ownership, the endorsing province is required to reassess the employer and the endorsement. If the province continues to support the applicant, officers are to continue processing the permanent residence file, provided the applicant submits updated documentation within the 90-day deadline. If the province revokes its support, the reviewing officer is to refuse the permanent residence application. For employment changes under the same employer, the applicant needs to submit an updated provincial endorsement certificate and an updated Offer of Employment form, IMM 0157, within 90 days. For changing from one designated AIP employer to another, applicants must submit an updated provincial endorsement certificate and an updated offer of employment form reflecting the change within the 90-day deadline.