(NEW BRUNSWICK) — New Brunswick has extended the Private Career College Graduate Pilot until December 31, 2027, giving eligible international graduates of Oulton College and Eastern College additional time to pursue provincial nomination and permanent residence.

The pilot had been scheduled to close on December 31, 2026. The extension applies to a limited group of graduates from selected programs and does not create a general immigration route for all private-college students in New Brunswick.

Eligible graduates can use the pathway to obtain a provincial nomination after securing a qualifying job offer. They may also apply for a T13 work permit, which can provide work authorization while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada processes a permanent residence application.

The extension particularly affects students who are not eligible for the federal Post-Graduation Work Permit, commonly known as the PGWP. Graduates of Oulton College and Eastern College under the pilot do not qualify for that federal permit, leaving the provincial pathway as a route to continued work authorization and permanent residence.

New Brunswick launched the pilot in September 2022 as a three-year project. The extension to December 31, 2027 is the second time the province has extended the program.

The pilot targets international graduates trained in healthcare, social development and early childhood education. Those sectors include occupations connected to local staffing needs, such as personal support, laboratory work, nursing, paramedicine, child care and community services.

Eligible Programs at Eastern College

Eastern College graduates can qualify through selected programs in education, social development and healthcare. Eligible programs include Child and Youth Care with Addictions Support Worker, Early Childhood Education, Medical Administrative Specialist and Personal Support Worker.

Child and Youth Care with Addictions Support Worker connects to social and community service workers under NOC 42201. Early Childhood Education connects to early childhood educators and assistants under NOC 42202.

Medical Administrative Specialist connects to medical administrative assistants under NOC 13112. Personal Support Worker connects to nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates under NOC 33102, as well as home support workers and related occupations under NOC 44101.

Eligible Programs at Oulton College

Oulton College offers another set of eligible programs under the pilot. They include Early Childhood Education / Educational Assistant, Child and Youth Care, Human Services Counsellor, Medical Office Administration, Medical Laboratory Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technology, Practical Nurse and Primary Care Paramedic.

Early Childhood Education / Educational Assistant connects to early childhood educators and assistants under NOC 42202 and elementary and secondary school teacher assistants under NOC 43100. Child and Youth Care and Human Services Counsellor connect to social and community service worker roles under NOC 42201.

Medical Office Administration connects to medical administrative assistants. Medical Laboratory Assistant and Medical Laboratory Technology connect to medical laboratory technicians and technologists, while Practical Nurse and Primary Care Paramedic connect to licensed practical nurses and paramedics.

Job Offer Requirements

A job title alone does not establish eligibility. The duties and responsibilities must match the eligible occupation under Canada’s National Occupational Classification system.

An early childhood education graduate, for example, needs a job offer tied to early childhood or education-assistant duties rather than a general childcare or administrative role with an unrelated duty profile. A healthcare graduate must show that the actual position matches the listed healthcare occupation.

The employer’s letter, work conditions and occupational classification all form part of the assessment. Graduates should review the duties carefully before accepting an offer that appears to qualify because of its title.

The job offer must be full-time, non-seasonal and related to the graduate’s field of study. Casual, temporary, seasonal or unrelated employment may not satisfy the pilot’s requirements.

A complete offer should identify the duties, hours, wage, employer, start date and occupation. Graduates should begin discussions with potential employers before completing their programs rather than waiting until the nomination deadline approaches.

The 90-Day Window and T13 Work Permit

The pilot also imposes a 90-day window. Graduates must secure an eligible job offer, apply for and receive a provincial nomination certificate, and apply for a T13 work permit with the federal government within 90 days from the program completion date shown on their transcript.

That clock is tied to the transcript’s completion date. Preparing a resume, identifying suitable employers, gathering licensing documents and confirming the occupation match before graduation can reduce delays during the application period.

The T13 work permit can bridge the period between provincial nomination and permanent residence processing. It is particularly relevant to graduates who cannot use the PGWP, but it depends on meeting the pilot’s requirements and is not automatic.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 19 years old. They must also meet Canadian Language Benchmark level 5 in all four abilities, reading, writing, listening and speaking, in English or French.

Language-test results can become a timing issue if students wait until graduation to arrange testing. Applicants should have valid evidence ready when required, since delays in test dates or results can affect the 90-day nomination process.

Nomination does not end the applicant’s obligations. Candidates must continue meeting the conditions of their nomination while their permanent residence applications are processed.

Changes involving employment can therefore create immigration risks. Losing the qualifying job, changing employers, changing roles or no longer meeting the nomination conditions can affect the application after nomination.

Purpose and Context

The pilot addresses a gap created by the federal work-permit rules. Private career college graduates can complete training for occupations needed in New Brunswick without gaining access to the PGWP, which normally gives eligible international graduates time to work in Canada after study.

Without a provincial route, those graduates can face pressure to find another immigration option soon after completing their programs. The New Brunswick pilot links selected education programs to provincial nomination, work authorization and a potential permanent residence application.

The extension also gives students already enrolled in eligible programs more time if they would not have graduated before the earlier closing date. It does not expand the program to every private career college or every field of study.

Students must first confirm that their institution and program appear on the list covered by the pilot. They must then compare the duties of any prospective job with the relevant occupation, rather than relying on the job title alone.

Documents that may be needed include language results, college records, the transcript completion date, proof of age, employer documents, job-offer details and immigration status documents. Preparing those materials before graduation leaves less work inside the 90-day period.

The extension does not make Oulton College or Eastern College graduates eligible for the PGWP. It also does not guarantee a provincial nomination or permanent residence.

A qualifying offer must remain full-time, non-seasonal and connected to the program and eligible occupation. The pathway applies in New Brunswick and does not create a comparable route in other Canadian provinces.

Its limits are central to the program. Only selected graduates from selected programs at Eastern College and Oulton College can use it, and every applicant must meet the age, language, job-offer, timing and continuing-compliance requirements.

New Brunswick’s decision preserves a route for graduates in fields tied to healthcare, social development and early childhood education, but the extension does not remove the deadlines governing the process. The 90-day period begins with the completion date shown on the transcript, while nomination conditions continue through permanent residence processing.