Effective February 3, 2026, Immigration New Brunswick (INB) has overhauled its processing of Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) endorsements. All new endorsement applications will now enter a monthly candidate pool rather than being processed first-come, first-served. INB will invite candidates based on provincial priorities, and any application left in the pool for 365 days will expire.
Employers and applicants who need help adapting to these changes can turn to VisaHQ for streamlined visa and document services. Through the Canadian portal at https://www.visahq.com/canada/ VisaHQ provides step-by-step guidance, real-time application tracking and expert support, ensuring that businesses and foreign nationals submit fully compliant AIP or alternative program applications with confidence.
![New Brunswick introduces candidate pool system and sector bans under Atlantic Immigration Program]()
In a sharper move, the province has temporarily stopped accepting AIP endorsements for jobs in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72) and for thirteen additional occupations, including retail managers, cooks, bakers and shippers/receivers. Only employers in health care, education and construction may continue to use AIP for overseas recruitment. Positions offered to foreign nationals abroad must arise from government-led recruitment initiatives.
The policy responds to federal pressure to cut temporary resident numbers and to mounting criticism that low-wage AIP hiring contributes to housing shortages. By pivoting to a pool model, New Brunswick expects to align immigration numbers more closely with labour-market data and to improve processing predictability for employers in priority sectors.
Companies previously relying on AIP for restaurant and hospitality roles should explore alternate streams such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or consider upskilling local staff. Employers in health, construction and education, however, stand to gain from more predictable monthly selections.
Employers and applicants who need help adapting to these changes can turn to VisaHQ for streamlined visa and document services. Through the Canadian portal at https://www.visahq.com/canada/ VisaHQ provides step-by-step guidance, real-time application tracking and expert support, ensuring that businesses and foreign nationals submit fully compliant AIP or alternative program applications with confidence.
In a sharper move, the province has temporarily stopped accepting AIP endorsements for jobs in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72) and for thirteen additional occupations, including retail managers, cooks, bakers and shippers/receivers. Only employers in health care, education and construction may continue to use AIP for overseas recruitment. Positions offered to foreign nationals abroad must arise from government-led recruitment initiatives.
The policy responds to federal pressure to cut temporary resident numbers and to mounting criticism that low-wage AIP hiring contributes to housing shortages. By pivoting to a pool model, New Brunswick expects to align immigration numbers more closely with labour-market data and to improve processing predictability for employers in priority sectors.
Companies previously relying on AIP for restaurant and hospitality roles should explore alternate streams such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or consider upskilling local staff. Employers in health, construction and education, however, stand to gain from more predictable monthly selections.
