NBPNP Critical Worker Pilot (NBCWP)

The New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot (NBCWP) is a distinctive immigration project between the provincial government of New Brunswick and the federal government of Canada.

To address critical labour shortages in New Brunswick, the federal government of Canada is working with New Brunswick Opportunities and Immigration and six selected employers in New Brunswick on a new immigration pilot, the NBCWP.

The programme aims to bring in and support the settlement of skilled foreign workers in the province.

An overview of the NBCWP

On 7 November 2022, the provincial government of New Brunswick and the federal government introduced the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot (NBCWP). This programme is distinctive in that it not only provides an economic immigration opportunity to New Brunswick; it also supports the retention of newly arrived immigrants in the region by providing settlement services for immigrants.

The pilot works with six selected employers to fill labour gaps across a number of industries, including manufacturing, fisheries, food production, forestry, agriculture and more.

This five-year pilot will be monitored and reviewed periodically to ensure that the necessary outcomes are achieved. Attracting newcomers, economic contribution and immigrant retention are top priorities for the provincial government; New Brunswick ranks 8th by population among Canada’s provinces and 11th by GDP per capita.

Read the detailedNB PNP programme requirements.

Partner employers

The six employers selected to take part in this NBCWP programme were chosen for their excellent record inNew Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), their history of good practice in hiring immigrants, and because they have the settlement services needed for new economic immigrants.

These six employers are:

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

Settlement services

One of the most distinctive features of the NBCWP is the pilot’s emphasis not only on bringing economic immigration opportunities to New Brunswick, but also on helping newcomers settle and establish their lives in the province.

In line with this vision, the six NBCWP businesses listed above must ensure that (in order to support the settlement of new immigrants) they:

• Have a clear settlement plan and strong implementation of housing and transport arrangements, in order best to support the candidate’s successful establishment in their new job and community, with a strong commitment to long-term retention
• Have a comprehensive human resources plan for recruiting and hiring skilled international talent, and for upskilling on site
• Provide up to 200 hours of language training, as required, for each candidate
• Provide guidance and support to candidates who may wish to pursue their Canadian secondary education equivalency.