New Brunswick Issues Over 1,000 Provincial Nomination Invitations in August, Focusing on Healthcare, Education, and Construction Industries
Three Skilled Worker Stream Draws in Detail
Between August 11 and 19, the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program conducted three draws through the Skilled Worker stream, issuing a total of 1,002 invitations to apply. The cut-off date for all three draws was August 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM AST (Atlantic Standard Time).
Specific invitation distribution is as follows:
First Draw: New Brunswick Experience Pathway
- Number of invitations: 481
- Target occupational categories:
- Healthcare industry
- Education, social and community services industry
- Construction industry
- Excluded occupations: Social and community service workers (NOC 42201), Material handlers (NOC 75101)
Second Draw: New Brunswick Graduates Pathway
- Number of invitations: 389
- Target occupational categories: All sectors
- Excluded occupations: Social and community service workers (NOC 42201), Chefs (NOC 62200), Material handlers (NOC 75101)
Third Draw: Francophone Candidates
- Number of invitations: 132
- Target occupational categories: Francophone candidates in all sectors
- Excluded occupations: Social and community service workers (NOC 42201), Chefs (NOC 62200), Material handlers (NOC 75101)
It is worth noting that the provincial nominee program did not announce cut-off scores for these three draws.
The New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream has undergone adjustments from previous years and now includes three pathways:
- New Brunswick Experience
- New Brunswick Graduates
- New Brunswick Priority Occupations
Separate Express Entry Stream Draw
In addition to the Skilled Worker stream, New Brunswick also conducted a draw through the Express Entry stream. This stream targets skilled foreign nationals in the federal Express Entry pool who have expressed their intention to settle permanently in New Brunswick.
This draw was also held between August 11 and 19, with a cut-off date of August 10, issuing 50 invitations to candidates through the "Employment in New Brunswick pathway."
Excluded occupations include:
- Social and community service workers (NOC 42201)
- Chefs (NOC 62200)
"Employment in New Brunswick Pathway" Application Requirements:
- Currently working full-time for a New Brunswick employer in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3
- Have been working full-time for a New Brunswick employer in TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3 for the past 12 months
- Have been residing in New Brunswick for the past 12 months
This draw also did not announce a cut-off score.
2025 Nomination Allocation and Invitation Status
To date, New Brunswick has issued a cumulative total of 3,067 provincial nomination invitations in 2025.
In February of this year, the province received an allocation of 1,500 spots for its provincial nominee program. In June, New Brunswick successfully negotiated an additional 1,500 nomination spots, bringing its total allocation for 2025 to 3,000.
It is important to note that nomination allocation numbers do not directly equal invitation numbers. Provinces typically issue more invitations than their annual allocation to account for candidates who decline, withdraw their applications, or fail to meet requirements. Therefore, the actual number of invitations issued is usually higher than the final number of nominations. This strategy ensures that the provincial nominee program can fully utilize its allocation and maximize the attraction of qualified immigration candidates.
Canada Announces 2026 Study Permit Target: Total Allocation Reduced to 408,000, Down 7% from 2025
On November 25, the Government of Canada officially released its 2026 study permit allocation and distribution plan for international students. According to newly published data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total number of study permits to be issued in 2026 will be capped at 408,000. This continues the federal government’s trend of tightening temporary resident levels, representing a 7% decrease from the 2025 cap of 437,000 and a 16% decrease compared to 485,000 in 2024. The new plan outlines detailed allocation rules by student category, confirms exemptions from Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) for master’s and PhD students, and distributes PAL-required application volumes and anticipated approvals across provinces based on population share.
11/27/2025
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
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