Maple News reports that on March 5 and 6, 2025, the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) held its first official immigration draws of the year. These selections focused on skilled foreign workers who have experience or education aligned with New Brunswick’s key labor market needs.
The latest draws took place under two specific pathways within the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream: the ‘New Brunswick Skilled Worker – New Brunswick Experience’ pathway and the ‘New Brunswick Skilled Worker – New Brunswick Graduates’ pathway. These categories are designed to retain candidates who either have prior work experience in the province or who have graduated from New Brunswick’s post-secondary institutions.
In total, 498 invitations to apply (ITAs) for provincial nomination were issued. While no official score cut-off was disclosed, the draws emphasized candidates in high-demand sectors, notably healthcare, education and community services, and construction trades—reflecting current provincial labor shortages.
As part of larger structural changes in 2025, the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream was expanded to include a third option: the ‘New Brunswick Skilled Worker – Priority Occupations’ pathway. This pathway is aimed at further refining the stream’s focus on occupations facing acute shortages and better aligning immigration with workforce priorities.
These developments follow a year of realignment within New Brunswick’s immigration strategy, which included efforts to match provincial immigration programs more closely with long-term economic needs. The changes were prompted, in part, by a reduced 2025 federal allocation for immigration nominees. The province has been granted 2,750 spots for the year—1,500 through the NBPNP and 1,250 through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).
To qualify under any of the Skilled Worker pathways, candidates must meet NBPNP’s core eligibility requirements, including demonstrable ties to New Brunswick, relevant work experience, and sufficient language proficiency. Those applying under the new Priority Occupations pathway must also meet more targeted requirements aligned with specific job roles identified by the province.
The province’s strategic focus on in-demand talent underscores its commitment to attracting and retaining immigrants who can smoothly integrate into the workforce and support New Brunswick’s economic growth.
As New Brunswick continues to optimize its immigration pathways, prospective applicants are encouraged to assess which stream best matches their qualifications and labor market demand in the province.