New Brunswick Ends AIP Applications for the Rest of 2025

New Brunswick has closed its Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) for the rest of 2025. This decision came after the province reached its annual cap of 1,250 applications on April 4.

Foreign workers can no longer apply for permanent residency through AIP in New Brunswick this year. Employers who wish to support new applications won’t get approvals. Also, New Brunswick won’t add any new employers to the AIP program in 2025.

However, those who submitted their endorsement application on or before April 4 can relax. The government will continue to process their applications as usual.

If you're hoping to apply under the AIP, all hope isn’t lost. Other Atlantic provinces—Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Newfoundland and Labrador—are still accepting AIP applications.

Nova Scotia is taking applications for most job offers. But it has excluded food service supervisor positions (NOC 62020). PEI is only accepting applications for workers in healthcare, construction, and manufacturing. Newfoundland and Labrador hasn't set any limits yet.

The early shutdown in New Brunswick comes earlier than last year, which ended in September. This year, it closed five months ahead of that.

One reason for this early closure is the limited number of immigration spots the federal government gave provinces this year. The overall number of permanent residency spots has gone down in Canada. So, provinces received fewer slots under AIP and their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

New Brunswick had already stopped accepting some job types in February this year. Now, with the total cap reached, the entire program is closed.

The Atlantic Immigration Program helps skilled foreign workers and international graduates settle in one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces. It’s built to support employers who struggle to find local workers.

To use AIP, an employer must first become “designated” by the province. Only designated employers can offer jobs under AIP. Once an employer hires someone, they can request the province to “endorse” the worker. If approved, the worker gets a Certificate of Endorsement.

With this certificate, the foreign worker can apply for permanent residency. While waiting, they can also apply for a temporary work permit to legally work in Canada. This permit is only valid for the job tied to the AIP offer.

Currently, AIP permanent residency applications take about 11 months to process.