FREDERICTON, N.B. – New Brunswick has joined Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in tightening truck driver recruitment.

It has established a pathway specific to transport truck drivers (NOC 7511) within the Provincial Nominee Program’s NB Skilled Worker stream.

The province said Thursday the program is being streamlined in response to feedback from industry stakeholders.

It said the following changes will go into effect Oct. 1. As of that date, applicants must have:

• a valid New Brunswick Class I driver’ s licence;
• at least 24 months of professional experience under NOC 7511 within the past five years;
• have a minimum of nine months of continuous full-time employment under NOC 7511 in New Brunswick, on an LMIA-supported or post-graduate work permit, and with a single New Brunswick employer;
• and show evidence of their intent to establish and reside in New Brunswick.

All employers wishing to support a foreign national through the NB Skilled Worker stream under NOC 7511 must:

• have been in continuous, active operation in New Brunswick under the same ownership for at least two years;  
• have physical, operational premises in New Brunswick;
• be actively engaged in these New Brunswick operations;
• be in good standing with all provincial and/or federal legislation governing employment standards and occupational health and safety;
• and not be in violation of the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA) or Immigration and Refugees Protection Regulations (IRPR).

The province said anyone who has received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) prior to Oct I, will be considered under the old criteria

Expression of Interest (EOI) under NOC 7511 will be considered under the old criteria, if received before midnight Sept. 28.

The move by New Brunswick comes just weeks after P.E.I. and Nov Scotia stopped accepting truck driver applications under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP).