For the remainder of 2025, foreign nationals can no longer seek permanent residency (PR) through New Brunswick’s Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).
New Brunswick has ceased to accept endorsement applications for the AIP after reaching this year’s allocation of 1,250 spaces.
The program hit its cap on April 4, 2025.
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Designated employers seeking to submit an endorsement application after this date will not be approved.
Additionally, no new employers will be designated under New Brunswick‘s AIP for the remainder of 2025.
Endorsement applications submitted on or before April 4 will continue to be processed.
Those that submitted endorsement applications on or before April 4 will not be affected by the AIP’s closure, and their applications will continue to be processed.
Other Atlantic provinces processing endorsements
Foreign nationals can still apply for permanent residency through the AIP if they receive a qualifying job offer from a designated employer in one of Canada’s three other Atlantic provinces:
These provinces have yet to reach their full AIP allocations for this year, and are still accepting endorsement applications from designated employers.
While the above-mentioned provinces have yet to close their AIPs, some have set certain conditions which limit the eligibility of interested workers and employers.
Nova Scotia is accepting endorsement applications from foreign nationals with job offers with any NOC code except NOC 62020 (food service supervisors).
Furthermore, early in the year PEI announced that it will only be accepting endorsement applications for workers in the three sectors: healthcare, construction, and manufacturing.
As of this writing, Newfoundland and Labrador has yet to announce any limitations for its AIP.
Factors leading to early closure
Compared to last year’s September closure, this year’s cap was hit more than five months earlier.
The early closure of the AIP comes on the heels of New Brunswick’s February 18 announcement stating it will no longer be endorsing applications for certain occupations under the AIP.
The competitiveness of the AIP has been exacerbated by the 50% reduction of provincial immigration allocations allotted to provinces by the federal government in 2025—a trickle-down effect of the overall decrease in permanent resident admissions targets in the 2025-27 Immigration Levels Plan.
The federal government is responsible for deciding the yearly allocation distribution of each Atlantic province’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and AIP.
With their provincial allocations halved, provinces have less spots available for foreign nationals seeking PR through the AIP. Consequently, they’ve had to implement restrictions on qualifying occupations and sectors to more closely reflect their local labour market needs and demands.
How does the AIP work?
The AIP provides an immigration pathway to skilled foreign workers and international graduates who intend to work and settle in one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces.
The AIP is an employer-driven program, meaning its designed to help employers find qualified candidates to fill local positions.
Employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers under this program must apply to their province for designation, as only designated employers can participate in the AIP. Once an employer is designated, they can submit an endorsement application to their province for job offers they’ve extended to foreign nationals.
If successful, the candidate will receive a Certificate of Endorsement.
With this certificate in hand, the candidate can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for PR, provided that they meet the other eligibility requirements of the AIP.
Under the AIP, applicants can legally work in Canada while awaiting a decision on their PR application by applying for a temporary work permit. This work permit is linked to the AIP and designated employer that offered them the job.
The current processing time for PR applications submitted under the AIP is 11 months.
Those that don’t qualify for the AIP may be eligible to immigrate through one of Atlantic Canada’s PNPs.