New Brunswick Program Overview
February 5, 2026
Important 2026 Updates Overview
The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is a federal-provincial initiative led by the Government of Canada in partnership with the four Atlantic provinces, including New Brunswick. The program helps employers attract and retain skilled foreign workers and international graduates by supporting their applications for permanent residence through a valid job offer.
In New Brunswick, employers must be designated by Immigration New Brunswick (ImmigrationNB) in order to participate in the program.
Effective February 3, 2026, Immigration New Brunswick has temporarily paused the acceptance of new employer designation applications.
This pause allows the province to reassess existing designated employers and realign program priorities with provincial economic needs.
Endorsement Process and Candidate Pool System
As of February 3, 2026, New Brunswick has introduced a candidate pool system for AIP endorsement applications due to reduced immigration allocations across Canada.
What this means:
Designated employers may continue submitting endorsement applications.
All new applications are placed into a selection pool.
Selections are based on provincial labour market priorities, not first-come, first-served
Sector and Occupation Restrictions (Effective February 3, 2026)
Immigration New Brunswick is not considering endorsement applications under the AIP for positions in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72). This includes, but is not limited to, the following occupations:
NOC 60030 – Restaurant and food service managers
NOC 62020 – Food service supervisors
NOC 62021 – Executive housekeepers
NOC 62024 – Cleaning supervisors
NOC 62200 – Chefs
NOC 63200 – Cooks
NOC 63202 – Bakers
NOC 64300 – Maîtres d’hôtel and hosts/hostesses
NOC 64301 – Bartenders
NOC 64314 – Hotel front desk clerks
Exception: Employers not directly operating within NAICS 72 may still submit endorsement applications for these roles.
Occupations Not Considered in Any Sector
ImmigrationNB is also not accepting endorsement applications for the following occupations, regardless of sector:
NOC 14400 – Shippers and receivers
NOC 60020 – Retail and wholesale trade managers
NOC 62010 – Retail sales supervisors
NOC 62101 – Retail and wholesale buyers
NOC 63201 – Retail and wholesale butchers
NOC 64100 – Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers
NOC 64409 – Other customer and information services representatives
NOC 94142 – Fish and seafood plant workers
Recruitment from Outside Canada
Endorsement applications for foreign nationals residing outside Canada are limited to Government of New Brunswick-led recruitment initiatives in the following sectors:
Health care
Education
Construction trades
Employers in these sectors seeking international recruitment support are encouraged to contact WorkingNB for further information on provincial recruitment programs.