New Brunswick pauses several permanent residence pathways

New Brunswick has paused some of its immigration streams as candidate allocations for the year have been met.

As of November 15, the following pathways have been temporarily suspended:

• The New Brunswick Atlantic Immigration Program;
• The New Brunswick Private Career College Graduate Pilot; and
• The Exploratory visit connection under New Brunswick Strategic Initiative.

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New Brunswick Atlantic Immigration Program

Paused until: end of year

The province announced that it’s no longer accepting or processing Employer Expressions of Interest (EOIs) under the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).

New Brunswick will continue to process applications for candidates who have submitted full Employer Designation applications.

Furthermore, candidates who have received an employer Invitation to Apply (ITA) may still go on to submit their Employer Designation application.

The province has asked candidates to continue to monitor their website in case of changes.

AIP is an immigration pathway for skilled workers who want to settle in Atlantic Canada. To be eligible, a foreign national requires a job offer from a designated employer in Atlantic Canada.

Interested candidates can look at Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, which still have the AIP running.

New Brunswick Private Career College Graduate Pilot

Paused until: end of year

New Brunswick has paused the issuance of new nomination certificates under this pilot.

Candidates who receive an ITA can still submit their full nomination application.

Applicants who exceed the 90-day window of eligibility once nominations resume in January will not be eligible to receive a provincial nomination under the terms of this pilot stream, and will have to seek alternative pathways.

The New Brunswick Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program is for international graduates from select one-year and two-year programs that lead to careers in priority occupations such as education and social development, IT, cybersecurity, business administration, supply chain and logistics, and health.

It is accessible to specific private career college graduates in New Brunswick who are not eligible for the federal Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

Exploratory visit connection under New Brunswick Strategic Initiative

Paused until: further notice

The province has announced that the Exploratory visit connection under the initiative has been paused, and no new ITAs will be issued.

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) that are already in the system are valid for 365 days from the date of submission, so they will be considered should the stream re-open while they are valid.

Expressions of interest submitted prior to March 12, 2024 will not be considered.

The New Brunswick Strategic Initiative is for French-speaking foreign nationals.

The Exploratory visit connection within it is only for candidates from outside Canada. It requires candidates to do an in-person exploratory visit to the province within 12 months of submitting an EOI.

The visit needs to be for a minimum of five full business days for research related to employment in the province, and candidates must submit an Exploratory Visit Report with their application.

Candidates interested in settling in New Brunswick can still apply if they meet the criteria for one of the two other connections mentioned below:

• Have a job or genuine job offer with a New Brunswick employer; or
• Meet the criteria for one of the New Brunswick priorities below:
  - Have completed a program of study from Université de Moncton or Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) within the last 6 months;
  - Have resided in New Brunswick for 12 months and have been working remotely for 12 months for the same Canadian company located outside of Quebec; or
  - Have received a letter of interest from a New Brunswick Immigration Officer.

It’s common for provincial immigration programs to close early as they hit their allocation goals for the year. It’s worth checking back early in 2025 to see if the programs have reopened.

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