The Atlantic Canadian province of New Brunswick is helping immigrants land jobs and entrepreneurs find workers with its new Immigration Navigator referral service.

“We recognize there is a shortage of labour and the success and growth of New Brunswick businesses is dependent upon access to talent,” said provincial Immigration Minister Arlene Dunn. “Our Immigration Navigator service will help steer newcomers and employers in the right direction by providing tailored support.”

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Through a North American toll-free line, 1-833-799-7966, the Immigration Navigator service helps potential and active candidates, information seekers, and prospective entrepreneurs navigate the immigration process and supports employers’ access to skilled workers.

Outside of North America, the Immigration Navigator can be accessed by calling 506 799-7901 or emailing [email protected]. 

IRCC Data Shows Immigration To New Brunswick Jumped 83.8% Last Year

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows immigration to New Brunswick rose by almost 83.8 per cent last year, to 5,320 new permanent residents, from 2,895 in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province had seen steady growth in immigration, rising 26.3 per cent from 3,650 new permanent residents in 2017 to 4,610 in 2018 – and increasing again by more than 30.1 per cent to hit 6,000 in 2019. 

Then, the pandemic hit and immigration across Canada slowed to a trickle, including in New Brunswick, in 2020.

With its population of roughly 800,000, New Brunswick is bullish on immigration which it sees as vital for its growth.

“Our population is continuing to increase, largely due to immigration, and we are dedicated to improving the experience for those whose dream it is to live in our beautiful province,” said Dunn.

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The immigration minister says the province has doubled its total nominations and tripled its nominations of French-speaking candidates since 2017.  New Brunswick has also doubled its international student nominations since 2019, she said.

A year-end report from New Brunswick’s compliance and integrity team shows it had 1,539 nominations for all immigration streams, including the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP), in 2017 and that figure soared to 2,992 as of last year. 

During the same time period, the nominations issued by Fredericton for French-language immigrants jumped from 297 to 847 and the nominations for international students rose from 332 to 1,091, said provincial government spokesperson Michel LeBlanc.

New Brunswick On Track To Welcome 7,820 New Permanent Residents This Year

In the first three months of this year, the province welcomed 1,955 new permanent residents, putting it on track to receive a record 7,820 new permanent residents – if the trend continues. 

Helping fuel that immigration growth in New Brunswick is Ottawa’s ambitious immigration plan.

After hitting a record-breaking level of immigration, with 405,970 new permanent residents to the country last year, Canada announced it would welcome 431,645 new permanent residents this year, 447,055 next year, and 451,000 in 2024.

Ottawa has also since vowed to accept an unlimited number of Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn homeland and seeking refuge in Canada.

The fly in the ointment is Ottawa’s massive backlog of immigration applications. New Brunswick has been lobbying IRCC to speed up processing times to get more workers to the province more quickly and resolve its labour shortages.

Under the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program, applicants who meet specific economic and labour market needs in the province can qualify through one of five categories:

• New Brunswick Express Entry Stream;
• New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream;
• New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream for Truck Drivers;
• New Brunswick Entrepreneurial Stream, or the;
• New Brunswick Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream.

Candidates can also qualify for New Brunswick immigration via the Atlantic Immigration Program.

Last year, the lion’s share of new permanent residents to New Brunswick, 4,495 of the total 5,320, arrived under the economic immigration programs.

PNP Drew More Than A Third Of New Permanent Residents To New Brunswick Last Year

Slightly more than a third, 34.1 per cent, of all new permanent residents to the province that year came through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) which allowed 1,815 foreign nationals to settle in the province.

Almost a third, 29.7 per cent, arrived in the bilingual province through the AIP and another 665, or 12.5 per cent of the total, got their permanent residency through the Canada Experience Class (CEC) program. 

Last year’s one-time intake of applications from temporary residents hoping to become permanent residents, the TR-to-PR pathway, saw another 415 become new permanent residents in New Brunswick.

Family sponsorship programs resulted in 415 new permanent residents and another 395 came to the province through refugee or protected person programs.