New Brunswick Private Career College Graduate Pilot: Who Can Still Apply

Graduates of private career colleges usually cannot get a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). That leaves them without a clear way to stay and work after graduation. New Brunswick created this pilot in September 2022 to give graduates of selected programs in education, social development and health a route to permanent residence through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP).

Immigration New Brunswick (INB) nominates eligible graduates. The graduate then gets a closed work permit with employer support and applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence through the non-Express Entry process.

Only in a limited way. The pilot was planned to run for three years. INB has extended it in a limited capacity through the end of 2027. The extension exists for international students who were already registered in specific programs and would not have graduated before the original end date.

If you are thinking about enrolling in a private career college now, do not count on this pilot. Check the application guide and ask INB whether your program and start date are covered before you pay tuition. For new students, a program at a public college or university that leads to a PGWP is usually a safer choice. See study permits.

As of September 2026, you must:

• Be at least 19 years old.
• Have Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level 5 in all four skills. See language tests.
• Have successfully completed an eligible program at a participating private career college in New Brunswick.
• Have accepted a full-time, non-seasonal job offer that is genuine and unconditional, directly related to your program as set out in the guide, and from an eligible employer that has operated in New Brunswick for the past 24 months under the same ownership.
• Be able to finish the nomination process and apply for your closed work permit within 90 days of the program completion date on your final transcript, and before your study permit expires.

The list of eligible programs and colleges is in INB's application guide.

The timing is strict. Within 90 days of your completion date, and before your study permit ends, you must:

1. Submit an expression of interest (EOI).
2. Receive an invitation and submit a complete application.
3. Be nominated.
4. Apply for a closed work permit with your employer's support.

Start early. Line up your job offer and your employer's documents before you finish your program. If your study permit is close to expiring, read about extending your status and maintained status, and consider speaking with a licensed consultant (RCIC) or lawyer.

You need two things for the closed work permit:

• A letter of support from INB.
• An offer of employment number from your employer. It is the letter A followed by 7 digits.

To create that number, your employer opens an account on the federal Employer Portal, submits the job offer and pays the $230 compliance fee (as of September 2026). The employer must pay this fee and cannot recover it from you in any way.

The EOI is free. If invited, you pay a non-refundable $250 provincial application fee (as of September 2026). Federal work permit and permanent residence fees are extra.

INB first checks your application for completeness and can close it if mandatory documents are missing. The assessment can take several months. If approved, you get a nomination certificate in the INB portal. You then apply to IRCC before the certificate expires. Your spouse or partner and children must be included in your application. They cannot apply separately under any New Brunswick program.

Other options may fit, depending on your situation:

• The New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream, if you later have six months of full-time work in the province.
• The Atlantic Immigration Program, if a designated employer supports you.
• The New Brunswick Strategic Initiative, if you speak French.

See the New Brunswick overview for every stream.