New Brunswick Advances 203 AIP Candidates Toward Permanent Residence

The Government of New Brunswick has officially selected 203 foreign workers to advance to the next critical stage of the immigration process under the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). This recent development marks another milestone in the province’s ongoing efforts to address persistent labor shortages by welcoming skilled international talent into vital economic sectors.

The province successfully executed three distinct draws on October 2, October 9, and October 29, targeting workers employed in high-demand fields such as construction, health care, and manufacturing. These selection rounds form part of a broader, sustained provincial strategy to transition temporary foreign workers into permanent residents who can help drive local economic growth and community sustainability.

Candidates who have been successfully selected through these recent draws will now have their provincial endorsement applications fully processed by immigration officials. Once these applications are officially approved, the candidates will be issued a provincial endorsement certificate. This vital document serves as the key requirement allowing them to formally apply for permanent residence at the federal level through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Securing an endorsement under the Atlantic Immigration Program also unlocks additional employment benefits for candidates currently living and working in Canada. Specifically, it opens the door to obtaining a two-year, employer-specific work permit issued directly by federal authorities. This intermediary work authorization ensures that skilled workers can maintain their employment stability while their permanent residence applications undergo final federal processing.

Furthermore, regulatory provisions are in place to protect workers during this transitional phase. Workers who submit their application for the employer-specific work permit before their current immigration status expires are legally permitted to continue working. Under established guidelines, they can continue their employment on maintained status—formerly referred to as implied status—adhering strictly to the conditions of their previously held permit. This provision remains valid as long as the candidates remain within Canada while awaiting a final decision on their new AIP work permit application.

The province established strict administrative parameters for the recent selection rounds. New Brunswick designated October 1, October 9, and October 28 as the respective cut-off dates for the three drawing periods, applying a uniform cut-off time of 11:59 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time. To be considered eligible for selection under these AIP draws, candidates were required to hold a valid, genuine job offer from an employer that has received official provincial designation under the program.

With the conclusion of these three most recent draws, New Brunswick has now advanced a cumulative total of 898 AIP candidates for application processing across nine distinct selection rounds announced throughout the year. The frequency and scale of these draws highlight the province’s proactive stance on labor market management. Reviewing the year’s progression, the province previously advanced 63 candidates across draws held on September 25 and October 2, following a selection of 60 candidates on September 10. Earlier in the year, selection rounds yielded 68 candidates across August draws, 114 candidates on July 22, 97 candidates on June 3, 50 candidates on May 1, 118 candidates on April 1, and 125 candidates during a multi-day selection window between March 3 and March 6.

It is worth noting the distinct operational mechanics of New Brunswick’s immigration streams. While the province traditionally utilizes its Provincial Nominee Program draws to issue direct invitations to apply, its AIP draws function differently. Instead of issuing initial invitations to prospective applicants, the AIP draws evaluate and identify which already-submitted applications will proceed forward to the formal processing stage.

Which AIP applications is New Brunswick accepting?

To maintain alignment with current economic demands and regional labor market priorities, New Brunswick periodically updates its intake criteria. In a formal policy update released on October 14, the provincial government announced that AIP endorsement applications may generally be submitted for all eligible occupations, with only a few specific exceptions.

At the same time, the province reiterated important operational guidelines concerning international recruitment. Applications that involve job offers extended to foreign nationals who are currently residing outside of Canada remain strictly limited to targeted, government-led recruitment initiatives. These international recruitment efforts are currently focused primarily on critical sectors, specifically health care, education, and construction, ensuring that incoming foreign labor directly supports foundational public services and infrastructure development across the province.