New Brunswick Launches New Immigration Pilot For International Graduates

New Brunswick province of Canada has introduced a new immigration pilot project dedicated to international students who graduate from four private colleges in the province. 

International students who complete their graduation from the Atlantic Business College, Eastern College, McKenzie College, or Oulton College and have studied one of 19 targeted occupations, will be eligible to apply to the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), starting April 1, 2022. 

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As per a press release issued by the Canadian Government, it has been indicated that the pilot project is designed for recent graduates of designated learning institutions who can’t apply for the federal post-graduation work permit programs. Moreover, the project will only include designated New Brunswick educational institutions that have been holding the designation for at least 5 years. The designated colleges should also offer eligible programs in the following areas:

1. Healthcare aides

2. Educational assistants

3. Social and community service workers

4. Early childhood educators and assistants

5. Paramedics and related occupations

6. Home support workers

7. Healthcare aides

8. Medical laboratory technologists

9. Medical laboratory technicians and pathologist’s assistants

10. Medical administrative assistants.

11. Computer programmers and interactive media developers.

12. Web designers and developers.

13. Computer network technicians.

14. User support technicians.

15. Accounting technicians and bookkeepers.

16. Payroll clerks.

17. Shippers and receivers.

18. Supply chain and logistics supervisors, and

19. Production logistics co-ordinators

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This immigration pilot program has been launched in collaboration between Opportunities NB and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The initiative has been introduced based on the priorities set by business groups and organizations in the province. 

An alliance of business groups and organizations called on the federal government to allocate more space to immigrants in order to reach a target of 10,000 immigrants by 2024, with 30% preferably French speaking; also to speed up the entire immigration process for international students specially. 

As per Canadian media, the New Brunswick province welcomed a record 6,000 Canada PR visa holders in 2019. By 2020, that number had dropped to 2,740 and between January and June 2021, there were 1,470 new permanent resident arrivals. This drop in the number of permanent residents is due to the travel restrictions that have been put in place due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and processing delays by IRCC.