New Brunswick AIP Update 2026: New Opportunities for Hospitality and Food Service Workers

Effective September 14, 2026, New Brunswick has introduced important changes to the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), including a significant reopening of eligibility for workers in the Accommodation and Food Services sector.

For foreign workers and employers in New Brunswick, this update may create new opportunities for permanent residence through the Atlantic Immigration Program. However, New Brunswick has also introduced clear selection priorities, meaning that simply meeting the basic AIP eligibility requirements does not guarantee that an endorsement application will be selected for processing.

Atlantic Summit Immigration Consulting Inc. has reviewed the latest New Brunswick AIP changes and summarizes the key points below.

1. New Brunswick Reopens AIP to the Accommodation and Food Services Sector

Earlier in 2026, New Brunswick stopped considering AIP endorsement applications for positions in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (NAICS 72).

Effective September 14, 2026, this broad sector restriction has been removed.

This means that candidates working for employers in the accommodation and food services sector may once again be eligible to submit an AIP endorsement application, provided that their occupation is not specifically restricted and all other provincial and federal AIP requirements are satisfied.

This is particularly important for New Brunswick’s restaurant, hospitality, hotel and food service industries.

2. Which Occupations Remain Restricted?

Although the overall NAICS 72 restriction has been removed, New Brunswick continues to restrict AIP endorsement applications for the following occupations:

• NOC 14400 – Shippers and receivers
• NOC 60020 – Retail and wholesale trade managers
• NOC 60030 – Restaurant and food service managers
• NOC 62010 – Retail sales supervisors
• NOC 62020 – Food service supervisors
• NOC 62101 – Retail and wholesale buyers
• NOC 64100 – Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers
• NOC 94142 – Fish and seafood plant workers

This distinction is very important.

For example, the previous restriction covered the accommodation and food services sector broadly. Under the September 14 update, occupations within that sector that are not included in the remaining restricted NOC list may potentially qualify again, subject to the other AIP requirements and New Brunswick’s selection process.

Applicants should therefore confirm their correct NOC classification before determining whether the new policy applies to them.

3. Being Eligible Does Not Mean Your Application Will Be Selected

One of the most important parts of the September 14 announcement is New Brunswick’s clarification of its AIP endorsement selection process.

Due to limited endorsement allocations and high demand, New Brunswick has specifically stated that meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee that an application will be selected for processing.

New Brunswick is prioritizing candidates who demonstrate a stronger likelihood of long-term economic establishment and retention in the province.

The province identifies three important selection factors:

Duration of employment in New Brunswick

Candidates who have already established employment history in New Brunswick may have a stronger factor in their favour.

Economic establishment and attachment to New Brunswick

The province will consider evidence demonstrating that the candidate is genuinely established in and connected to New Brunswick.

Employment or a job offer in a priority sector

New Brunswick currently identifies the following as priority sectors:

Healthcare | Education | Construction

Therefore, an AIP strategy should now consider much more than whether a candidate technically satisfies the minimum federal requirements.

4. What About Workers Already Living and Working in New Brunswick?

The September 14 update may be particularly important for temporary foreign workers who are already employed and established in New Brunswick.

The province has expressly identified the duration of employment in New Brunswick and evidence of economic establishment and attachment to the province as primary selection factors.

Accordingly, candidates with an established New Brunswick employment and residence history should ensure that their application accurately documents their circumstances.

However, there is no automatic approval simply because a person has worked in New Brunswick for a particular number of months. Each case must be assessed based on the applicable AIP eligibility requirements and New Brunswick’s current selection priorities.

5. Important Restriction for Candidates Outside Canada

New Brunswick continues to impose additional restrictions on candidates residing outside Canada.

For positions offered to foreign nationals residing outside Canada, AIP endorsement applications are currently limited to Government of New Brunswick-led recruitment initiatives in:

Healthcare | Education | Construction

This makes the distinction between an applicant who is already established in Canada and an overseas candidate particularly important when assessing an AIP strategy.

6. New Employer Designations Remain Paused for 2026

Another major point for employers is that New Brunswick has confirmed that the acceptance of new AIP employer designation applications will remain paused for the remainder of 2026.

This does not mean that the entire AIP is closed.

Existing designated New Brunswick employers can continue to participate in the program and submit eligible candidate endorsement applications.

For employers considering the AIP, one of the first steps should therefore be confirming whether the company already holds valid New Brunswick AIP designation.

7. AIP Endorsements Are Managed Through a Candidate Pool

New Brunswick currently operates an AIP candidate pool system.

Once the employer and candidate complete their respective portions of the endorsement application, the application enters the pool. New Brunswick then selects applications based on provincial labour-market needs, available allocation and other provincial priorities.

Applications are not processed simply on a first-come, first-served basis.

An endorsement application can remain in the pool for up to 365 days. If it is not selected within that period, it expires and a new application would be required.

This makes proper planning increasingly important, particularly for candidates whose work permits are approaching expiry.

8. Federal AIP Requirements Still Apply

The September 14 changes are New Brunswick’s provincial endorsement policies. They do not replace the federal eligibility requirements of the Atlantic Immigration Program.

Generally, an AIP candidate must still satisfy federal requirements relating to matters such as:

• a qualifying job offer from a designated Atlantic Canadian employer;
• qualifying work experience, unless an applicable international graduate exemption applies;
• education;
• language ability;
• settlement planning; and
• settlement funds where required.

The qualifying job offer must also meet the federal AIP requirements relating to hours, duration and NOC/TEER level.

Receiving a New Brunswick endorsement is an important step, but the permanent residence application is ultimately submitted to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for assessment under the federal Atlantic Immigration Program.

Why Professional AIP Assessment Is Becoming More Important

The Atlantic Immigration Program is no longer simply a question of determining whether an employer is designated and whether a candidate meets the minimum federal requirements.

In New Brunswick, candidates must now consider provincial occupation restrictions, sector restrictions, candidate-pool selection, employment history in New Brunswick, provincial attachment, priority sectors, work permit expiry dates and federal AIP eligibility together.

A candidate may technically qualify for AIP but still face challenges in being selected for endorsement.

Likewise, a candidate who was previously unable to proceed because of New Brunswick’s Accommodation and Food Services restriction may now have a potential pathway following the September 14, 2026 update.

Atlantic Immigration Specialists – Atlantic Summit Immigration Consulting

Atlantic Summit Immigration Consulting Inc. provides professional Canadian immigration services with a particular focus on immigration programs in Canada’s Atlantic provinces, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our office assists both foreign workers and Atlantic Canadian employers with immigration strategies involving the Atlantic Immigration Program, Provincial Nominee Programs, LMIA and employer-specific work permits, work permit extensions, and permanent residence applications.

For New Brunswick AIP cases, we can review:

✓ AIP candidate eligibility
✓ Correct NOC and TEER classification
✓ New Brunswick occupation and sector restrictions
✓ Designated employer status
✓ Candidate pool and endorsement strategy
✓ New Brunswick employment and provincial attachment
✓ Federal AIP eligibility
✓ Work permit options while awaiting permanent residence
✓ Employer compliance and immigration requirements

If you are currently working in New Brunswick—or if you are a New Brunswick employer considering supporting a foreign worker—the September 2026 changes may significantly affect your immigration options.

Contact Atlantic Summit Immigration Consulting Inc. for a professional assessment of your Atlantic Immigration Program options.