New Brunswick is reopening its immigration programs after adjusting to a reduced quota of 2,750 nomination spaces set by the federal government. These spots will
New Brunswick is reopening its immigration programs after adjusting to a reduced quota of 2,750 nomination spaces set by the federal government. These spots will be shared between the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) with 1,500 and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) with 1,250.
On 5th February, Jean-Claude D’Amours, the province’s acting Minister of Post-Secondary Education, said the lower quota for 2025 has led to difficult decisions. The focus will be on key sectors like health, construction, and education, while some industries will have limits.
This article includes:
- Updates on New Brunswick’s immigration programs
- Possible future adjustments in quota
Updates on Immigration Streams and Programs
The table below outlines the latest details on every New Brunswick stream.
| Stream | Current Status | Details |
| New Brunswick Express Entry | Will start accepting new EOIs (Expressions of Interest) for two pathways in the upcoming weeks. | Will receive NOIs for:
– Employment in the New Brunswick pathway
|
| New Brunswick Strategic Initiative | Not currently accepting new EOIs. | This one stream has enough applications and does not request new ones. |
| Private Career College Graduate Program |
Accepting the EOIs
|
Scheduled to conclude in the fall of 2025. |
| New Brunswick Skilled Worker | Begin accepting EOIs. | Has been divided into 3 streams. |
| New Brunswick Business Immigration |
Accepting the EOIs |
Applicants are eligible to apply for nomination if the business has been in operation for 6 months or more. |
| New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot | Accepting the applications | Not Applicable |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | Accepting the applications | Not Applicable |
Additional information is provided below for the streams that are updated or have new criteria for selection.
Express Entry Program for New Brunswick
In the next few weeks, the New Brunswick Express Entry stream will begin accepting new EOIs through the:
- Employment in the New Brunswick pathway
- New Brunswick Priority Pathway
At this moment, there are some occupations that are excluded from consideration.
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative
The stream is not taking new EOIs at the moment as there are already enough applications.
The In-Person Exploratory Visit to the New Brunswick pathway was put on hold in November 2024 and will not be offered in 2025.
New Brunswick Skilled Worker
The Skilled Worker stream for New Brunswick will begin accepting the latest applications soon. It has been divided into 3 separate pathways, which are going to be managed under the Skilled Worker stream:
- New Brunswick Work Experience pathway
- New Brunswick Graduates pathway
- New Brunswick Priority Occupations pathway
Each pathway has different requirements for eligibility. There are some Excluded Occupations for the Skilled Worker Stream.
Possible Changes to New Brunswick’s Immigration Allocations
The New Brunswick government is in talks with federal immigration authorities about possibly changing the province’s nomination spaces. Other provinces, like Newfoundland and Labrador, were able to get more immigration spots by agreeing to accept a certain number of humanitarian immigrants. New Brunswick may be able to make a similar agreement with the federal government to get more nomination spaces by committing to take in more humanitarian immigrants.
Conclusion
New Brunswick is reopening its immigration programs, focusing on areas like health, education, and construction. Some programs are temporarily closed, but there are new options for skilled workers and graduates. The province is also talking with the federal government to get more nomination spots, possibly by accepting more humanitarian immigrants. These changes are meant to help the province grow and bring in more people.