New Brunswick Wins Back Immigration Slots After Federal Deal—PNP Quota Climbs to 4,250 for 2025

Vikrant Gungash
Jun 18
3 min read

By Vikrant Singh, June 15, 2025

New Brunswick has reversed February’s steep immigration-quota cut after striking a deal with Ottawa that will bring an extra 1,500 permanent-resident spaces to the province this year. The boost raises New Brunswick’s 2025 allocation to 4,250 places across its Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP).

What the agreement looks like

All 1,500 new spots flow directly to the NBPNP. That nearly restores the province’s pre-cut capacity; in February its allocation had been slashed to 2,750—50 percent below 2024 levels.
Ottawa’s ask: New Brunswick will accept up to 400 asylum claimants over the next two years. The federal Interim Housing Assistance Program will fund temporary lodging and settlement supports.
Provincial officials will shortly meet asylum seekers already in Canada who are willing to relocate and fill labour shortages, partnering with employers such as J.D. Irving, Ltd.

Who will benefit from the extra nominations?

The NBPNP confirmed it will keep channelling most nominations into three priority sectors:

Health (e.g., nurses, personal-support workers)
Education (teachers, early-childhood educators)
Construction trades (carpenters, electricians, plumbers)

Other occupations can still apply, but only under a limited share of the remaining quota. Some low-demand roles remain temporarily restricted.

How New Brunswick bargained for the increase

Facing critical skills gaps—especially in hospitals, schools and skilled trades—the province pressed the federal government to revisit its allocation. Labour Minister Jean-Claude D’Amours called the extra spaces “vital for workforce growth” after February’s cuts left businesses scrambling.

National picture: provinces hunt for quota relief

New Brunswick becomes the second province to broker a higher 2025 PNP allocation:

Province	Original 2025 quota	Revised 2025 quota	Change
Newfoundland & Labrador	1,050	2,525	▲ 1,475
New Brunswick	2,750	4,250	▲ 1,500
Ontario	21,500 (2024) → 10,750	No federal revision yet	▼ 50 %
British Columbia	8,000 (2024) → 4,000	No federal revision yet	▼ 50 %

The national cuts follow Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s latest Immigration Levels Plan 2025-27, which trims the PNP landings target from 120,000 (projected in 2023) to just 55,000 next year.

What happens next?

Program reopening: The province says NBPNP streams will reopen gradually, and application caps will be updated to reflect the larger quota.
Employer outreach: Settlement agencies will begin pairing incoming asylum claimants and new nominees with employers in sectors facing chronic shortages.
Watch for more deals: Other provinces are expected to pursue similar negotiations as they confront their own 50 percent quota cuts.

For skilled workers eyeing Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick’s restored allocation means more invitations—and faster pathways to permanent residence—are back on the table for 2025.

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