New Brunswick Introduces Nominee Pilot for International Graduates

New Brunswick will be introducing a new immigration stream next spring that will make it easier for certain international graduates to remain in the province.

Opportunities NB and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have partnered together to introduce an immigration stream for certain international graduates.

The students targeted through this stream are ineligible to apply for a post-graduate work permit. As a result, it is more difficult for these students to transition to Canadian permanent residency. The new stream introduced this month will allow international graduates from four private colleges to stay and work in the province.

Who will be eligible for New Brunswick International Graduate stream?

International students that have graduated from one of New Brunswick’s four established private career colleges and have studied in one of 19 select occupations will be eligible to apply for nomination as of April 2022. Eligible colleges include:

• Atlantic Business College;
• Eastern College;
• McKenzie College; and
• Oulton College.

Additional eligibility requirements are expected to be on New Brunswick’s website by this fall.

Which occupations are targeted in New Brunswick's upcoming stream?

Occupations currently targeted for this pilot include:

• social and community service workers;
• early childhood educators and assistants;
• educational assistants;
• health-care aides;
• home support workers;
• licensed practical nurses;
• paramedics and related occupations;
• medical laboratory technologists;
• medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants;
• medical administrative assistants;
• computer programmers and interactive media developers;
• web designers and developers;
• computer network technicians;
• user support technicians;
• accounting technicians and bookkeepers;
• payroll clerks;
• shippers and receivers;
• supply chain and logistics supervisors; and
• production logistics co-ordinators

Existing nominee programs for International Students in New Brunswick

Currently, New Brunswick offers a nominee stream for eligible International Graduates with a qualifying job offer in the province. The job offer and candidate must meet certain eligibility requirements to be considered.

For graduates that are not eligible for a post-graduate work permit, securing a job offer upon graduating often means finding an employer willing to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Acquiring an LMIA can be a lengthy process, as it requires employers to demonstrate their recruitment efforts to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent residence. While New Brunswick offers work permit support letters to apply for work authorization upon being nominated, many employers are unfamiliar with the immigration procedure or unwilling to wait until the nomination application has processed.