New Brunswick Holds Intensive June PNP Draws, Inviting Over 600 Candidates in Four Rounds Across Two Days
New Brunswick Accelerates Immigration Pace with a Surge in June Invitations
Canada's eastern maritime province of New Brunswick once again became a focal point in the Canadian immigration landscape this week. On June 16 and 17, the province's immigration authorities conducted four rounds of Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) draws with unprecedented intensity, demonstrating a strong commitment to attracting new immigrants to meet local labour market demands.
This back-to-back draw series issued a total of 608 Invitations to Apply (ITAs), the largest single series of draws in 2025. To date, New Brunswick has invited a cumulative total of 2,015 potential immigrants this year.
Below is a detailed analysis of the four recent draws:
1. Skilled Worker Stream: Three Pathways Activated with Clear Targets
The Skilled Worker Stream was prominent in this selection, inviting a total of 311 candidates through its three different pathways.
- New Brunswick Experience: In the June 16 draw, this pathway issued 25 invitations. The target group was highly specific, focusing on candidates in three key sectors: Healthcare, Education and Social & Community Services, and Construction Trades. A crucial selection criterion was that invitees must hold a work permit expiring in 2025 or in January/February of 2026. Notably, candidates in the occupation of Material Handlers (NOC 75101) were excluded from this draw.
- New Brunswick Graduates: Across draws on June 16 and 17, this pathway was the most active, inviting 274 recent graduates from all sectors. Similar to the Experience stream, candidates were required to have a work permit set to expire in 2025 or in January/February of 2026. However, the provincial government explicitly stated that candidates in the occupations of Chefs (NOC 62022) and Material Handlers (NOC 75101) were not included in this invitation round.
- New Brunswick Priority Occupations: On June 17, this pathway held a small-scale draw, issuing 12 invitations to candidates in the Healthcare sector. The province did not publish specific selection criteria for this draw. It is critical for applicants to be aware that New Brunswick is currently not accepting new Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for this pathway and is only processing previously submitted profiles.
2. Express Entry Stream: Focus on Local Work Experience
In parallel with the Skilled Worker draws, the province’s Express Entry Stream also conducted a large-scale draw.
- Employment in New Brunswick: In the June 16 draw, this pathway issued 297 invitations to candidates across all sectors. The core requirement for this round was that candidates must have been working full-time in New Brunswick for at least one year, a policy that heavily favors candidates already integrated into the local labour market. As with the graduates' pathway, the occupation of Chef was also excluded from this draw.
Important Notes and Analysis for Future Applicants
This series of draws highlights several key features of New Brunswick's current immigration policy:
- Prioritizing Local Ties: Whether by requiring local work experience or targeting local graduates, the NBPNP draws show a clear preference for candidates who already have a strong connection to the province.
- Targeting Labour Shortages: The repeated emphasis on healthcare, education, and construction indicates that these are the areas where New Brunswick most urgently needs to fill talent gaps.
- Exclusion of Certain Occupations: Specific occupations like Chefs and Material Handlers were explicitly excluded from multiple draws. Furthermore, the province has noted that Expressions of Interest (EOIs) with a job or job offer under select NOC codes are not currently being considered in either the Skilled Worker or Express Entry streams. Prospective applicants should closely monitor the official government website for the specific list of excluded occupations.
- Changes to Stream Status: The suspension of new applications for the "Priority Occupations" pathway is a critical piece of information for anyone planning their immigration journey through that route.
All Expressions of Interest (EOIs) submitted to the NBPNP pool remain valid for 365 days. Given the dynamic nature of these policies, prospective applicants are advised to stay informed of official announcements and develop an immigration strategy based on their personal qualifications and the latest invitation trends.
Manitoba invites more in-Canada and overseas skilled workers to apply for provincial nomination
On November 21, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued 35 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to skilled workers both inside and outside Canada. This round of selections continued to prioritize candidates identified through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives (SRIs), including Employer Services, Francophone Community, Regional Communities, and the Temporary Public Policy. The program also reminded applicants to ensure all key information—such as language test numbers and invitation numbers—is correctly entered to avoid affecting their eligibility.
11/26/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Largest Provincial Nominee Draw of the Year, Focusing on In-Province Workers and International Graduates
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) recently conducted its largest immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations to apply for provincial nomination to nearly 200 candidates through the "Labour & Express Entry" category. This draw primarily targeted candidates already working in the province, while giving priority consideration to applicants with French language proficiency and international graduates from specific institutions. This move reflects the province's strategic intent to attract skilled talent capable of directly contributing to the local economy.
11/25/2025
British Columbia Expands Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations, Marking Largest Draw of 2025
On November 18, British Columbia held its largest entrepreneur immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations through both the Base and Regional streams of its Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Minimum scores and invitation numbers varied by stream, reflecting the province’s continued 2025 strategy of prioritizing candidates with high economic impact.
11/24/2025
Alberta Issues 1,125 Provincial Nominee Invitations in Mid-November, Maintaining High-Frequency Draws Across Key Streams
In mid-November 2025, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued a total of 1,125 provincial nominee invitations across two rounds, targeting candidates in the Healthcare Priority sector under Express Entry as well as the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The November 14 draw invited 80 healthcare candidates with a minimum score of 52, while the November 10 draw issued 1,045 invitations under the Opportunity Stream—a notably large round this year. With Alberta receiving over 1,500 additional nominations in September, bringing its 2025 total to 6,403, the province continues to strengthen efforts to retain local workers and attract healthcare professionals.
11/22/2025
Canada’s Conservatives Push for Major Amendments to Border and Immigration Bill C-12
On November 20, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, announced that the Conservative Party will introduce a wide-ranging package of amendments to the federal government’s border security and immigration legislation, Bill C-12. She argued that Canada’s immigration system is under intense pressure and must undergo structural reform as soon as possible. The proposed amendments will focus on modernizing asylum procedures, strengthening border enforcement and security screening, adjusting criminality and removal thresholds, and increasing transparency across federal immigration bodies. The initiative comes amid rising asylum numbers, sustained growth in temporary residents, mounting pressure on housing and social services, and heightened scrutiny of immigration-related security reports—highlighting how immigration has become a heated issue in Canada and globally.
11/21/2025
Alberta Announces Sweeping Changes to AAIP Rural Renewal Stream: Community Quotas and New Work Permit Rules to Take Effect in 2026
The Government of Alberta has officially announced significant updates to the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS) under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), marking one of the most substantial overhauls since the program's inception. Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, these changes are a response to a surge in community endorsements that have far exceeded the province’s federal nomination allocations. To realign the program with provincial economic priorities and manage labor market pressures, Alberta will implement four core changes: establishing annual endorsement allocation limits for designated communities, setting a one-year validity period for candidate endorsement letters, introducing a TEER-based occupation assessment model, and enforcing a mandatory requirement for all in-Canada applicants to hold a valid work permit at both the time of application and assessment.
11/20/2025
Ontario Suspends Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and Returns All Applications
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream effective November 14, 2025, following a major program review that identified systemic misrepresentation and potential fraud. As part of the suspension, all in-progress applications will be returned with full refunds. The province states that the program’s current structure must be redesigned to ensure limited nomination spots benefit genuine candidates addressing Ontario’s skilled trades shortages. Affected applicants may submit a new Expression of Interest under another OINP stream if eligible.
11/19/2025
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 330 ITAs in latest draw, marking the largest round since July
On November 12, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador issued a total of 330 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), marking the largest draw since July. With 220 invitations going to NLPNP candidates, the province continues to rely heavily on its provincial nomination channels. As the province reaches its 13th draw of the year and prepares for expanded federal PNP admission targets in 2026, nomination allocations may increase further.
11/18/2025
IRCC releases latest processing time update with notable shifts across key immigration categories
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its latest processing time update on November 12, 2025, covering citizenship applications, permanent resident (PR) cards, family sponsorship programs, economic immigration categories, study permits, and work permits. The update reflects real-world timelines for 80% of applications and is refreshed weekly or monthly depending on the category. The latest data shows significant increases in processing times for parents and grandparents under family sponsorship, while Express Entry streams remain stable. Business immigration and several Quebec programs continue to face multi-year backlogs. IRCC emphasizes that processing times are estimates only and can vary depending on an applicant’s location, background checks, case complexity, and IRCC’s operational capacity.
11/17/2025
Canada issues new round of Express Entry invitations for Healthcare and Social Services occupations
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a new Express Entry draw on November 14, 2025, issuing 3,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the Healthcare and Social Services occupations category. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required for this draw was 462—the lowest cutoff among the six Healthcare and Social Services draws held this year. This was also the third Express Entry draw of November, highlighting IRCC’s continued priority on recruiting healthcare professionals.
11/15/2025
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