6 Canada employers now hiring international through New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot

In November 2022, New Brunswick province of Canada launched a new 5-year pilot immigration program dubbed New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot and 6 employers are currently hiring international skilled workers to fill these hard to fill occupations.

This new stream provides more flexibility by allowing 6 participating employers to provide skills and language training of up to 200 hours of language training, as required, to recruited candidates as well as guidance and support to the newcomers they bring into the province.

Six employers have been identified to participate in the pilot:

1. Cooke Aquaculture – Cooke Aquaculture Inc. is a vertically-integrated aquaculture corporation based in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada with salmon farming operations in Atlantic Canada, the United States (Maine and Washington), Chile and Scotland, as well as seabass and seabream farming operations in Spain.
2. Groupe Savoie Inc –
   • Groupe Savoie is the leading producer of hardwood products.
   • They’re always on the lookout for forestry engineers and technicians, welders, mechanics, machinists, industrial maintenance professionals, loader operators, heavy equipment operators, and truck drivers, to name just a few
3. Groupe Westco – Groupe Westco is one of the largest poultry farming organizations in Canada
4. Imperial Manufacturing – Imperial Manufacturing Group is an award-winning manufacturer of more than 7000 heating, air conditioning, ventilation and building products
5. J.D. Irving Ltd –
   • J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) is a diverse family owned company with operations in Canada and the United States.
   • JDI’s head offices are in Saint John and Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
   • J.D. Irving, Limited is made up of a diverse group of companies in various business segments: Forestry & Forest Products, Transportation, Shipbuilding & Industrial Marine, Retail & Distribution, Industrial Equipment, Construction Services & Building Materials, Specialty Printing, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Food Processing
6. McCain Foods –
   • McCain Foods Limited is a Canadian multinational frozen food company established in 1957 in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada.
   • It is the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato products.

These employers:

• have been in good standing with the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program;
• have demonstrated consistent immigrant recruitment practices;
• have newcomer settlement programs in place;
• are willing to provide on-the job training as well as language support.

“The positive impact our workers from more than 15 nationalities have demonstrated working together at Groupe Savoie and in the Saint-Quentin region is incalculable,” said Alain Bossé, president and chief operating officer at Groupe Savoie Inc.

Canadian provinces do not have the ability to give out Canada permanent residency. However, they can nominate you for Canada PR if you have a profile in the federal Express Entry immigration system.

Express Entry is the application system that Canada uses to manage skilled worker applications. It is also the most popular way to immigrate to Canada.

A total of 1,200 points is available under Express Entry. You immediately get 600 points if you are nominated by a province. A provincial nomination effectively guarantees that IRCC will invite you to apply for Canadian permanent residence in any of its Express Entry draws.