New Brunswick has announced a new immigration pilot program for international students who have graduated from the province’s four private career colleges.

International students who have studied in one of 19 selected occupations and have graduated from Atlantic Business College, Eastern College, McKenzie College, or Oulton College will be allowed to apply to the PNP beginning April 1, 2022.

The PNP allows Canadian provinces and territories to find immigrants who can help them satisfy their economic needs. Many PNP streams cater to overseas students, with some being expressly designed for them.

Only in the fall will specific details and requirements for the new pilot project become available. The pilot project, however, is intended for recent graduates of specified learning institutions who are not currently qualified for the federal Post-Graduation Work Permit program, according to the government.

Furthermore, this pilot program will be limited to recognized New Brunswick educational institutions that have held this designation for at least five years and offer qualified programs of study in the following areas:

• shippers and receivers;
• supply chain and logistics supervisors;
• production logistics co-ordinators;
• social and community service workers;
• early childhood educators and assistants;
• educational assistants;
• user support technicians;
• accounting technicians and bookkeepers;
• payroll clerks;
• health-care aides;
• home support workers;
• licensed practical nurses;
• computer programmers and interactive media developers;
• web designers and developers;
• computer network technicians;
• paramedics and related occupations;
• medical laboratory technologists;
• medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants; and
• medical administrative assistants

The new pilot program is a partnership between Opportunities NB (ONB), the province’s primary economic development organization, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

With the rising competition for skilled labor, the ability to convert overseas students into permanent residents has never been more important.

This new program is in line with the priorities established by the province’s business groupings and organizations. A coalition of New Brunswick business organizations submitted a set of policy demands for the next federal election in Canada just last week.

The New Brunswick Business Council, boards of trade, the Saint John Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters formed the committee, which highlighted three priority areas for federal action, including immigration.

The group demanded that the federal government allocate more space for immigrants in order to meet a target of 10,000 immigrants by 2024, with 30% of them speaking French; simplify and speed up the entire immigration process, particularly for international students; and increase investment in settlement services.

Approximately 120,000 New Brunswickers are expected to leave over the next decade, according to the province.

Immigration was one of the main drivers of population and labor force growth in New Brunswick prior to the pandemic. In 2019, the province welcomed a total of 6,000 permanent residents, which is a new high. By 2020, the number had reduced to 2,740, with 1,470 new PR arrivals between January and June 2021.