CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Prince Edward Island has become the latest Atlantic province to stop accepting truck driver applications under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP).

Nova Scotia froze the trucking segment of the program last month, replacing it with the Occupations-in-Demand stream to bring in drivers from abroad.

“We are currently reviewing the AIPP as it relates to the trucking sector. As part of this review, we are consulting with employers in the sector,” a P.E.I. government spokesperson told Today’s Trucking.

“We have suspended receiving new applications while this review is taking place, but will continue to process any received prior to the review,” the official said Wednesday.

The spokesperson, who requested anonymity, pointed out that applications are still being accepted under the Provincial Nominee Program.

Drivers who have applied under the AIPP in P.E.I. have reported long delays in processing their documents despite their status as “essential workers.”

It is not clear what is causing the delay.

The AIPP was launched in 2017 to meet rising labor shortages in a number of industries in the Atlantic provinces.

Since then, nearly 6,700 immigrants have become permanent residents through the program, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.