As of April 4, 2025, New Brunswick has paused its intake for the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) for the remainder of the year, having reached its annual cap of 1,250 endorsements. Consequently, no new endorsement applications or employer designations will be accepted for the rest of 2025. However, applications submitted on or before April 4 will continue to be processed.
Despite New Brunswick’s pause, the AIP remains active in the other Atlantic provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. These provinces are still accepting endorsement applications from designated employers, as they have not yet reached their respective allocations for the year.
Key Details
Application Cutoff: Applications submitted before April 4, 2025, will continue to be processed.
Employer Designations: No new employers will be designated under the AIP in New Brunswick for the rest of 2025.
Other Immigration Streams: This pause does not affect other immigration pathways in New Brunswick, such as the NB Skilled Worker Stream, NB Express Entry Stream, and NB Strategic Initiative Stream, which remain open.
How the Atlantic Immigration Program Works
The AIP is an employer-driven immigration pathway designed to address labor market needs in Atlantic Canada. It facilitates the hiring of skilled foreign workers and international graduates by designated employers in the region. The general process involves:
Employer Designation: Employers must first become designated by the province.
Job Offer and Settlement Plan: Once designated, employers can offer jobs to eligible candidates and work with them to develop a settlement plan.
Endorsement Application: The employer submits an endorsement application to the provincial government, including the job offer and settlement plan.
Provincial Endorsement: If approved, the province issues a Certificate of Endorsement to the candidate.
Permanent Residency Application: With the endorsement, the candidate can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residency.
Under the AIP, applicants can legally work in Canada while awaiting a decision on their PR application by applying for a temporary work permit.
