Immigration New Brunswick has pared back its restricted-occupation list for the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), effective 14 October 2026. Employers may now seek provincial endorsement for virtually any National Occupational Classification (NOC) except four roles—shippers and receivers (14400), restaurant and food-service managers (60030), food-service supervisors (62020) and fish-plant workers (94142). TEER 5 occupations remain excluded by federal rule. The move vastly expands the pool of jobs eligible for the AIP, a key permanent-residence pathway designed to help Atlantic provinces attract and retain newcomers. In practice, the policy mostly benefits workers already in Canada because endorsements for candidates abroad are limited to government-led recruitment initiatives in health care, education and construction. Immigration New Brunswick warns demand still outstrips its federal endorsement allocation, so not every admissible file will be processed this year. The province continues its pause on new employer designations until 2027 while it audits existing employers for compliance and alignment with labour-market priorities. Companies with urgent hiring needs should double-check that job offers meet federal wage floors and consider backup strategies such as LMIA-supported work permits. Foreign nationals whose work permits expire soon must maintain status independently; the province makes clear it cannot accelerate AIP decisions to save a worker from falling out of status.
Source: IRCC.com
