This series has covered the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot's eligibility, application process, benefits, timelines, and how it compares to other Canadian immigration routes. This final reference page pulls the practical details into one place: which sources are genuinely official, exactly who the 6 participating employers are with real links, what they actually pay, and what job titles to search for.
Official Government Sources (Not Third-Party Blogs)
A huge amount of what shows up in search results about this pilot comes from immigration law firms and marketing sites, useful for context, but not the actual authority. These are the only sources that are genuinely official:
| Source | What It's For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration New Brunswick (INB) | The provincial body that runs this pilot and the wider NBPNP | gnb.ca - NB Critical Workers Pilot |
| NB Provincial Nominee Program overview | All NBPNP streams, not just this pilot | gnb.ca - Provincial Nominee Program |
| Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) | Federal permanent residence processing, fees, and general program rules | canada.ca - IRCC |
| Job Bank (Government of Canada) | Official job postings and real, published wage data by occupation and region | jobbank.gc.ca |
| WES (World Education Services) | One of the IRCC-recognized bodies for Educational Credential Assessments | wes.org |
Everything else, including this article, is secondary commentary. Always cross-check anything important against the sources above.
The 6 Participating Employers, With Real Details
| Employer | Industry | Region | Approx. Company Size | Official Careers Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooke Aquaculture Inc. (Cooke Inc.) | Aquaculture / seafood | Blacks Harbour, Charlotte County | Roughly 13,000 employees company-wide (global operations) | cookeseafood.com/contact/careers |
| Groupe Savoie Inc. | Forestry products / hardwood lumber | Saint-Quentin, northern NB | Roughly 500-1,000 employees across 6 locations | groupesavoie.com/en/careers |
| Groupe Westco | Poultry / food processing | Saint-François-de-Madawaska | One of Canada's largest poultry farming groups; precise headcount not publicly confirmed | groupewestco.com |
| Imperial Manufacturing Group | Manufacturing (metal/HVAC products) | Richibucto, southeastern NB | Over 1,100 employees across 15 locations in North America | imperialgroup.ca/careers |
| J.D. Irving, Limited | Forestry, transportation, manufacturing (diversified) | Saint John (HQ), operations province-wide | Over 16,000-20,000 employees company-wide, one of Eastern Canada's largest private employers | careers.jdirving.com |
| McCain Foods | Food processing (frozen foods) | Florenceville-Bristol (global HQ) | Roughly 20,000 employees company-wide (global operations) | careers.mccain.com |
Important honesty note: the company-size figures above are total, company-wide employee counts pulled from public company information, not New-Brunswick-only headcounts, and definitely not a count of how many of those employees were specifically hired through immigration programs. None of these six companies publicly publish a breakdown of "employees hired from abroad." Anyone claiming to have that exact figure is not citing a real public source, treat it with real skepticism.
What Each Employer Actually Hires For: Job-Title Keywords to Search
Since none of these employers list jobs under the pilot's name, searching "NB Critical Worker Pilot jobs" on their sites won't return anything. Search their careers pages using the actual job titles instead:
| Employer | Keywords to Search on Their Careers Page |
|---|---|
| Cooke Aquaculture | "fish farm technician," "processing plant worker," "hatchery," "maintenance technician" |
| Groupe Savoie | "sawmill operator," "production worker," "quality control," "equipment operator" |
| Groupe Westco | "poultry processing," "production line," "food safety," "plant maintenance" |
| Imperial Manufacturing Group | "machine operator," "welder," "fabrication," "assembly" |
| J.D. Irving, Limited | "truck driver," "mill worker," "millwright," "logistics," "production" |
| McCain Foods | "production operator," "food processing technician," "plant maintenance," "quality assurance" |
Real Wage Data (From Job Bank, Not Estimates)
Job Bank publishes actual, current wage ranges by occupation and province, this is the same prevailing-wage data the pilot's employers must meet or exceed when making a job offer. Figures below are for New Brunswick specifically:
| Occupation | Hourly Wage Range (NB) | Most Relevant To |
|---|---|---|
| Production worker, food and beverage processing | $16.00 - $26.50/hr | McCain Foods, Groupe Westco, Cooke Aquaculture (processing roles) |
| Production helper, food and beverage processing | $16.00 - $26.50/hr | McCain Foods, Groupe Westco |
| Labourer, food and beverage processing | $16.00 - $26.50/hr | McCain Foods, Groupe Westco, Cooke Aquaculture |
| Production supervisor, food and beverage processing | $20.00 - $37.02/hr | McCain Foods, Groupe Westco |
For forestry, manufacturing, and transportation roles (Groupe Savoie, Imperial Manufacturing, J.D. Irving), Job Bank publishes the same kind of real, current wage reports, search the specific job title directly on jobbank.gc.ca/wagereport/location/nb since wage data updates periodically and this article won't always reflect the latest figures.
How to Apply, the Honest Version
There is no shortcut around the real process covered elsewhere in this series: research the employer, apply through their official careers page using the job-title keywords above, and only proceed with an Expression of Interest once you have a genuine, signed job offer. Below is a direct link to each employer's real, official careers page, nothing else:
- Apply at Cooke Aquaculture
- Apply at Groupe Savoie
- Visit Groupe Westco
- Apply at Imperial Manufacturing Group
- Apply at J.D. Irving, Limited
- Apply at McCain Foods
Cooke Aquaculture's own careers page carries a fraud warning to job seekers about scammers making false job offers in their name, a useful reminder that this pilot's popularity has attracted real scam activity. The only legitimate way in is through the links above, or Immigration New Brunswick directly, never through a third party asking for payment to "guarantee" a placement.
How to Confirm You're on a Real, Official Page
Before entering any personal information or applying anywhere in connection with this pilot:
| Check | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Domain | Government sources end in .gc.ca (federal) or .gnb.ca / .nb.ca (New Brunswick provincial). Employer domains should match the exact company name, not a lookalike |
| Payment requests | No legitimate government office or the six named employers will ever ask for payment to "guarantee" a job offer, interview, or nomination |
| Contact channel | Reach out through the official careers page listed above, not through a recruiter who contacted you first on WhatsApp, Telegram, or a personal email with no verifiable company link |
| Language | Real job postings describe specific duties, hours, and location. Vague postings promising "guaranteed Canada PR" are a red flag regardless of which employer they claim to represent |
If anything about an offer feels off, cross-check the employer's own official careers page (linked above) directly, and consider contacting Immigration New Brunswick to confirm a specific opportunity is genuine before proceeding.
Rest of the Series
- Complete Overview
- Full Eligibility Checklist
- How to Apply, Step by Step
- How to Get a Job Offer
- Benefits Beyond the Job
- Processing Times and Fees
- vs Atlantic Immigration Program
- Every NB PNP Stream Compared
- vs Self-Employed Persons Program
- Common Mistakes and FAQs
Sources
- NB Critical Workers Pilot - Government of New Brunswick
- Production Worker - Food And Beverage Processing in New Brunswick - Job Bank
- Production Supervisor - Food And Beverage Processing in New Brunswick - Job Bank
- Cooke Seafood - Careers
- J.D. Irving, Limited - Careers
- McCain Foods - Careers
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not immigration, legal, or financial advice. Employer details, wage ranges, and links change without notice. Always confirm current details directly with the official sources linked below before making any decisions, and never pay anyone who claims they can guarantee you a job offer or nomination.