New Brunswick is set to reopen its immigration streams after a period of adjustment, following the federal government’s decision to allocate only 2,750 immigrant nomination spaces to the province this year.
The total of 2,750 spaces will be divided between the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) with 1,500 spaces and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) with 1,250 spaces.
In a press release on February 5, Jean-Claude D’Amours, acting Minister of Post-Secondary Education, explained that the substantial reduction in 2025 allocations has forced the province “to make difficult decisions.”
“We expect it will limit our ability to manage economic growth for our province and its businesses,” D’Amours commented.
To manage these limitations, the province will prioritize sectors such as health, education, and construction for immigration, while providing some additional support to other industries. Certain sectors will face restrictions, preventing workers from participating.
This article will cover:
- Published details for each of New Brunswick’s immigration streams.
- Potential future changes in the province’s allocation of immigrant nomination spaces.
Stream and Program Updates
The table below summarizes the current status and details of New Brunswick’s immigration streams:
| Stream | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick Express Entry | Will begin accepting new Expressions of Interest (EOIs) under two pathways in coming weeks. | Will accept NOIs under the: – Employment in New Brunswick pathway – New Brunswick Interests pathway |
| New Brunswick Strategic Initiative | Will not accept new EOIs at this time. | This stream has sufficient inventory and is not seeking new applications. |
| Private Career College Graduate Program | Accepting EOIs | Set to end in autumn of 2025. |
| New Brunswick Skilled Worker | Starting to accept EOIs | Has branched into three pathways. |
| New Brunswick Business Immigration | Accepting EOIs | Applicants must have operated their business for six months or longer. |
| New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot | Accepting applications | N/A |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | Accepting applications | N/A |
Further details are outlined below for streams that have changed or imposed new selection criteria.
New Brunswick Express Entry
In the coming weeks, the New Brunswick Express Entry stream will begin accepting new Expressions of Interest (EOIs) under:
- Employment in New Brunswick pathway.
- New Brunswick Interests pathway.
At this time, candidates in the following occupations will not be considered:
- Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 12200)
- Administrative assistants (NOC 13110)
- Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 60030)
- Food service supervisors (NOC 62020)
- Cooks (NOC 63200)
- Bakers (NOC 63202)
The New Brunswick Student connection will not return for 2025.
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative
This stream has reached sufficient inventory of EOIs, so it will not accept new EOIs at this time. Interested newcomers should check for updates later in the year.
Additionally, the In-Person Exploratory Visit to New Brunswick connection under this stream was paused in November 2024 and will not return in 2025.
New Brunswick Skilled Worker
This stream will begin accepting new applications soon and has now branched into three smaller pathways:
- New Brunswick Work Experience pathway
- New Brunswick Graduates pathway
- New Brunswick Priority Occupations pathway
Eligibility criteria for each pathway are as follows:
- New Brunswick Work Experience
- Must have worked in a full-time, non-seasonal position for an eligible New Brunswick employer in the last 6 months.
- Must have lived within the province in the last 6 months.
- New Brunswick Graduates
- Must have completed a program of study eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) at a New Brunswick Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
- Must have a full-time, non-seasonal job or job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer.
- New Brunswick Priority Occupations
- Must have a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer, resulting from a recruitment mission led by the Government of New Brunswick.
- Must be in a position listed within the specified priority National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes.
- Must have at least one year of related work experience.
At this time, the NBPNP will not consider candidates in the following occupations:
- Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 12200)
- Administrative assistants (NOC 13110)
- Shippers and receivers (NOC 14400)
- Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 60030)
- Food service supervisors (NOC 62020)
- Cooks (NOC 63200)
- Bakers (NOC 63202)
- Bartenders (NOC 64301)
- Other customer representatives (NOC 64409)
- Food and beverage servers (NOC 65200)
- Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related occupations (NOC 65201)
- Process control and machine operators – food and beverage processing (NOC 94140)
- Fish and seafood plant workers (NOC 94142)
- Laborers in food and beverage processing (NOC 95106)
- Laborers in fish and seafood (NOC 95107)
Will New Brunswick’s Allocation Change in the Future?
While it is unclear whether New Brunswick will resolve its provincial allocation challenges, the province has communicated its concerns to the federal government, and discussions are ongoing.
In January, Newfoundland and Labrador, also affected by a significant reduction in its immigrant admissions, managed to recover most of its allocation—reducing a 50% cut to just 2.3%. This was made possible through a new agreement with the federal government, under which the province committed to accepting 290 humanitarian immigrants over three years. This agreement could lead to the restoration of “coveted Provincial Nomination spots” for provinces and territories.
Although much remains to be seen, based on the federal government’s actions with other provinces, it’s possible that New Brunswick may need to reach an agreement regarding its intake of humanitarian immigrants if it hopes to recover its provincial allocation.
New Brunswick begins reopening immigration programs | CIC News
