New Brunswick - (Worker) Atlantic Immigration Program

AIP Update for New Brunswick – October 6, 2026

As of September 14, 2026, the acceptance of designation applications for new employers remains paused until the end of 2026. This does not mean the entire AIP is closed; candidate endorsements from already designated employers are still being selected on a limited basis.

General restrictions for the Accommodation and Food Services industry (NAICS 72) were lifted for AIP as of September 14, 2026. Occupations not on the restricted NOC list may be considered. The NOCs that remain restricted are: 14400, 60020, 60030, 62010, 62020, 64100, 62101, and 94142.

Candidates residing outside of Canada are only considered under provincial-led recruitment initiatives in healthcare, education, and construction. Eligibility does not guarantee selection for endorsement processing; the province prioritizes long-term settlement potential, work history, and ties to NB.

AIP is a federal-provincial program; the restrictions in this article apply to New Brunswick. You must maintain legal work authorization throughout the process.

Updated October 6, 2026. Source: New Brunswick Official Guidance and current notices.

Overview

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a pathway to permanent residence for:

• skilled foreign workers, and
• international students who have graduated from a recognized post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada

who want to live and work in New Brunswick. This program helps designated New Brunswick employers recruit suitable candidates for positions they have been unable to fill locally from permanent residents and Canadian citizens living in the province. Only a designated employer can initiate an AIP application.

Becoming a designated employer

Contact your local WorkingNB office to learn about services available to New Brunswick employers.

A "workforce consultant" will work with you to identify your needs and the employment services that may be appropriate. They will also perform a needs assessment.

WorkingNB will connect you with appropriate employment services. If immigration is identified as a legitimate labor need, the results of the needs assessment will be forwarded to Immigration New Brunswick (ImmigrationNB). An ImmigrationNB officer will contact you to discuss next steps and may invite you to submit an employer designation application.

Once you are a designated employer, you can submit an application to ImmigrationNB to endorse a position for a foreign worker.

To have a position endorsed, you must:

• demonstrate that you have attempted to recruit locally without success;
• recruit a foreign candidate;
• provide a valid, full-time, non-seasonal job offer, co-signed by the candidate;
• provide a personalized settlement plan through a New Brunswick settlement service provider, co-signed by the candidate;
• complete mandatory onboarding training;
• complete intercultural competency training, unless exempted by ImmigrationNB.

For candidates residing outside of Canada, endorsement applications are limited to recruitment initiatives led by the Government of New Brunswick in healthcare, education, and construction.

• Healthcare
• Education
• Construction trades

Note: If you wish to endorse a candidate who is in Canada on a study permit, you must wait until they complete their program of study before you can invite them to apply.

If approved, both you and the candidate will receive an endorsement certificate via the INB portal.

After receiving endorsement

If you have received an endorsement certificate under the AIP from the Province of New Brunswick, withdrawing this certificate for the purpose of reapplying under another program/stream managed by ImmigrationNB is not permitted.

Individuals endorsed under the AIP are expected to submit a permanent residence application to IRCC before the endorsement certificate expires.

Due to longer processing times at IRCC, some AIP endorsees may need to extend their current work permit. To support this, ImmigrationNB may issue a letter of support for a closed work permit under the LMIA exemption code C18. This letter is a temporary solution while AIP endorsees wait for a final decision on their PR.

Note: AIP endorsees are not eligible for the Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) program.

Additionally, ImmigrationNB must be notified if there is a change in the AIP endorsee's employment status, such as: job loss, change of employer, or change of position. These changes may affect program eligibility and the endorsement certificate may need to be updated.

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