New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot 2026: eligibility, employers and how to apply

The New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot is a five-year pilot intended to address certain labour shortages in the province. It is an employer-driven stream of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program. Interested people cannot simply submit a direct application to the province: the process normally begins with a genuine job offer from a participating employer.

This guide reflects information published by the Government of New Brunswick when updated in September 2026. Provincial streams may change, pause or be limited according to allocations, application volumes and labour-market needs. Always check official instructions before acting.

What is the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot?

The pilot supports targeted recruitment and retention of skilled workers in occupations that have been difficult to fill. It is part of provincial economic immigration and gives participating employers a greater role in settlement planning, skills development and, where appropriate, language training. It is not a family-reunification, refugee-protection or humanitarian pathway.

It may be useful to compare this employer-driven route with the Provincial Nominee Program and Express Entry, which operate differently.

Is the program still available in 2026?

When this article was updated, the pilot remained listed on the official New Brunswick website. That does not mean every profile or employer can use it. The province may close, pause or change a stream, and retains discretion over which expressions of interest and applications it assesses.

A job offer, expression of interest or apparent eligibility does not guarantee a nomination. After nomination, IRCC makes the final permanent-residence decision.

Which employers participate?

The province currently identifies these six participating employers:

• Cooke Aquaculture
• J.D. Irving Ltd.
• Groupe Savoie
• Groupe Westco
• Imperial Manufacturing Group
• McCain Foods Ltd.

Participation is limited and is not generally open to new employers at this time. A job offer from any New Brunswick business is therefore not automatically an offer under the pilot.

Can you apply directly?

No. Applications are made through a participating employer as part of targeted recruitment. New Brunswick also says that applicants do not need to send a résumé directly to Immigration New Brunswick.

Use New Brunswick job opportunities, the participating employers’ recruitment channels and official recruitment events. The offer must be genuine and the employer must support the applicable process; LIMAJ Immigration does not sell jobs or job offers.

Eligibility requirements

Language, education and work experience

The guide lists IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Results must be valid and cover reading, writing, listening and speaking. In pilot-specific circumstances, the guide refers to signed employer attestations where usual language, education or work-experience evidence is not yet available at the provincial-application stage. Those provisions do not automatically replace requirements: read the official pilot guide and assess the actual file.

Unpaid work, volunteering, unpaid internships and study periods, including co-op programs, generally do not count toward the required work experience. The job offer must also meet applicable wage and work-location requirements.

How to apply

Step 1: obtain an offer from a participating employer

The process begins with a genuine, full-time, non-seasonal offer from one of the participating employers. The employer must support the process and provide information requested by the province.

Step 2: create an Expression of Interest in the INB portal

If you meet the applicable criteria, create a candidate profile and Expression of Interest. An EOI places you in a pool; it does not guarantee an invitation and applications are not necessarily processed first-come, first-served.

Step 3: receive an invitation to apply

Selected candidates receive an invitation through their employer in their INB account. Under the current official page, a complete electronic application must be submitted within 45 calendar days of invitation issuance.

Step 4: submit the provincial application

Submit the application and supporting PDF documents online. The province may request more information or an interview. A complete application does not oblige New Brunswick to nominate a candidate.

Step 5: prepare the settlement plan

The pilot gives the employer a particular role in helping the worker and, where appropriate, family members prepare for settlement. The plan must reflect a real plan to live and work in New Brunswick.

Step 6: receive provincial nomination

If the province approves the application, it may issue a nomination certificate. The certificate is currently valid for six months from issue. Meeting criteria does not guarantee a nomination.

Step 7: apply to IRCC for permanent residence

The federal application follows the provincial-nominee process outside Express Entry. IRCC assesses medical, criminal and security admissibility and makes the final decision. A provincial nomination does not guarantee permanent residence.

Can you get a work permit without an LMIA?

After nomination, a provincial support letter for an employer-specific work permit may be possible if the applicable requirements are met. The guide describes an R204 support letter in certain circumstances. This is part of the post-nomination process; it does not mean every candidate automatically receives an LMIA-exempt work permit.

The employer must also meet applicable federal obligations, including use of the Employer Portal where required. See our Canadian work permit page for general information.

Can you apply from Morocco or abroad?

Living outside Canada does not necessarily prevent recruitment by a participating employer. In practice, the central challenge is obtaining a genuine offer from an employer authorized to use the pilot. Do not send your résumé directly to Immigration New Brunswick; focus instead on official job and recruitment resources.

An applicant must also be able to demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in the province. An eligibility assessment can help organize a file, but cannot replace a genuine offer or a decision by New Brunswick or IRCC.

Documents that may be required

The exact list depends on the file and rules in force. It may include a passport and civil-status documents, the job offer and employer documents, proof of paid work experience, valid language results where required, education credentials and ECA where applicable, provincial forms, and documents for a spouse or children where applicable.

When should you not apply?

The guide gives examples that generally do not fit the pilot: seasonal, part-time or casual employment; some commission-only work; work not based in New Brunswick; unauthorized work in Canada; or a file based on the applicant’s own self-employment. A person in Canada must maintain legal status where required. Compatibility with another provincial application should be checked before filing.

Critical Worker Pilot or Express Entry?

The appropriate route depends on a genuine offer, experience, languages, education and settlement plan. Do not accept an offer or create a profile solely because a pathway appears faster.

Official sources

• New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot
• Official Critical Worker Pilot guide
• New Brunswick jobs
• IRCC: provincial nominees outside Express Entry