‘A significant step back’: Permanent resident nominations to drop by 50 per cent in N.B. this year

A file photo of the New Brunswick flag flying outside the provincial legislature in Fredericton. (Source: Nick Moore/CTV News Atlantic)

The province of New Brunswick says there will be a significant reduction in the number of permanent residents allowed to immigrate to the province this year.

The number of nominations will drop by 50 per cent – from 5,500 in 2024 to 2,750 in 2025.

The allocation will be split between the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program.

The province says the changes were made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

New Brunswick’s immigration minister calls it a “significant step back”

“Unfortunately, this move has forced us to make difficult decisions and we expect it will limit our ability to manage economic growth for our province and its businesses,” said Jean-Claude D’Amours in a provincial news release.

“The changes go far beyond anything we could have anticipated, and the one-size-fits-all measure fails to recognize our province’s unique status as the only officially bilingual province.”

The province says its immigration programs will open in the “coming days” and a focus will be made on priority sectors, such as health, education and construction.

“We empathize with New Brunswick businesses who may no longer be able to benefit from these programs, and we encourage them to reach out to WorkingNB to help fill job vacancies,” D’Amours said.

The province says it has presented its concerns to the federal government and conversations are ongoing.

The federal government announced in October 2024 that it would reduce its permanent resident targets in 2025 to alleviate pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.