New Brunswick issued comparable immigration nominations in 2020 to previous years

The number of immigration candidates nominated to immigrate to Canada by New Brunswick in 2020 were comparable to previous years.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, New Brunswick issued a total of 2,020 nomination through its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in 2020. Previously, New Brunswick issued 2,022 PNP nominations in 2019.

However, only 2,740 new permanent residents landed in New Brunswick as of November 31, 2020. In 2019, that number was 6,000. The drop is a result of the immigration challenges such as travel restrictions, processing delays.

The President of the New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC), Moncef Lakouas, stated that the immigration numbers show that the province is addressing employer needs first.

Many sectors were negatively impacted by the pandemic, but other sectors never slowed and have urgent labour needs.

The President of the NBMC ensured that all employers are following quarantine and safety protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

New Brunswick is trying to attract more French-speaking immigrants, hoping that by 2024, a third of new immigrants to the province speak French. The province is working hard to meet their immigration targets of welcoming 7,500 newcomers per year by 2024.

New Brunswick has two (2) economic immigration pathways available: New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIP).

The NBPNP is divided into four (4) streams:

1. Express Entry Labour Market Stream – This stream is for candidates who are in the federal Express Entry system. Candidates need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile, meet age, education, language, and work experience requirements. As well, candidates need a sufficient amount of money to settle.
2. Skilled Worker with Employer Support Stream – This stream is for workers who have received a full-time permanent job offer from an employer in New Brunswick. Candidates also must meet the age, education, language, and other requirements.
3. Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream – This is for candidates who have graduated from a university or college in the province who want to start a business in New Brunswick. Candidates must meet the education, age, language, and other requirements.
4. Entrepreneurial Stream – This is for candidates who are foreign nationals who wish to start and manage a business in New Brunswick. Candidates must also meet education, age, language, and other requirements. Candidates must also provide a thorough business plan.

The AIP is used in the four (4) Atlantic provinces: Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick.

Employers in any of these provinces can use the AIP to hire foreign workers to fill jobs that could not be filled with domestic candidates.

This means that to be eligible for the AIP, foreign workers will need a job offer. Candidates do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment. Once a candidate receives a job offer, they will be connected with a designated settlement service provider organization to help them create a settlement plan