New Brunswick has quietly stepped in to keep hundreds of foreign workers on the job while their permanent-residence (PR) files languish at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). On 25 October 2025, the province announced that it will now issue letters of support so that Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) endorsees whose C11 employer-specific work permits are about to expire can apply for a new C18 closed permit valid for up to two additional years.
The move is a direct response to IRCC processing times, which have ballooned from 13 months in September to 37 months this month. AIP work permits are normally capped at two years and, unlike most economic candidates, AIP workers are not eligible for a Bridging Open Work Permit. As a result, many were poised to lose legal status—and their jobs—before a decision on their PR application could be rendered.
Under the new procedure, endorsees submit a short Post-Endorsement Request Form to Immigration New Brunswick, which then issues a provincial letter of support. That document, together with proof that the PR file is still pending, allows the foreign national to file a C18 application online with IRCC, gaining implied status while the permit is processed. Employers say the fix is critical for labour-starved sectors such as health care, food processing and construction, where AIP has become the main international recruitment channel.
Practically, employers should review expiry dates now and initiate support-letter requests at least six weeks in advance. Immigration lawyers also advise endorsees to flag any change in duties or work location, because the province may have to amend the underlying endorsement certificate. Other Atlantic provinces have not yet indicated whether they will mirror New Brunswick’s solution, but stakeholder groups are already lobbying Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to follow suit.
For multinational companies moving talent to Atlantic Canada, the development removes a major compliance headache: assignees can continue working without interruption and avoid costly repatriation or payroll complications that arise when status lapses. Nevertheless, the episode underscores how provincial agility is increasingly required to offset federal backlogs—an issue likely to dominate Ottawa’s 2026 immigration-levels debate.
The move is a direct response to IRCC processing times, which have ballooned from 13 months in September to 37 months this month. AIP work permits are normally capped at two years and, unlike most economic candidates, AIP workers are not eligible for a Bridging Open Work Permit. As a result, many were poised to lose legal status—and their jobs—before a decision on their PR application could be rendered.
Under the new procedure, endorsees submit a short Post-Endorsement Request Form to Immigration New Brunswick, which then issues a provincial letter of support. That document, together with proof that the PR file is still pending, allows the foreign national to file a C18 application online with IRCC, gaining implied status while the permit is processed. Employers say the fix is critical for labour-starved sectors such as health care, food processing and construction, where AIP has become the main international recruitment channel.
Practically, employers should review expiry dates now and initiate support-letter requests at least six weeks in advance. Immigration lawyers also advise endorsees to flag any change in duties or work location, because the province may have to amend the underlying endorsement certificate. Other Atlantic provinces have not yet indicated whether they will mirror New Brunswick’s solution, but stakeholder groups are already lobbying Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to follow suit.
For multinational companies moving talent to Atlantic Canada, the development removes a major compliance headache: assignees can continue working without interruption and avoid costly repatriation or payroll complications that arise when status lapses. Nevertheless, the episode underscores how provincial agility is increasingly required to offset federal backlogs—an issue likely to dominate Ottawa’s 2026 immigration-levels debate.
