New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) FAQ

Yes, New Brunswick has an immigration stream aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system, also referred to as an enhanced Express Entry stream. This stream is called New Brunswick Express Entry Labour Market Stream (see question 10 for more information). By receiving an enhanced provincial nomination from this stream, candidates receive an extra 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, resulting in an Invitation To Apply (ITA) for permanent residence being issued at a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.

Applying to the NBPNP is a two-step process. Candidates interested in living and working permanently in New Brunswick should first review the different NBPNP streams to determine if they are eligible:

• New Brunswick Business Applicants Stream
• New Brunswick Skilled Worker with Family Support Stream
• New Brunswick Skilled Worker with Employer Support Stream
• New Brunswick Express Entry Labour Market Stream

Step 1: Once a complete application is submitted along with all supporting documentation, the processing time for eligible applications can be up to three months or more.

Step 2: Apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a permanent resident visa.

Within six months of receiving the nominee certificate, applicants are required to apply to IRCC in order to receive a permanent resident visa. Applicants, along with their spouse/common-law partner and dependents, if applicable, must meet all requirements for medical, security and criminal admissibility. IRCC has the final authority to issue a permanent resident visa.

This stream is for applicants who intend to establish or purchase a business in New Brunswick and settle there permanently. Applicants must submit a preliminary business plan to be approved by a New Brunswick government official.

To learn more about the NB Business Applicants stream,click here.

In addition to having their business plans approved, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be between 22 and 55 years of age;
• Hold at least a high school diploma;
• Demonstrate an intention to live and operate a business in New Brunswick;
  • The applicant must assume a day-to-day management role in the business.
• Show relevant and proven management experience in three of the last five years;
• Have a personal net worth of at least $300,000 CAD;
• Have sufficient funds to establish the business, settle successfully, and support all dependent family members for up to two years;
• Submit a conditionally refundable deposit of $75,000 CAD and a signed copy of the Deposit Agreement prior to nomination;
• Score 50 points on a selection grid;
• Demonstrate sufficient English and, or French language ability to actively manage a business in New Brunswick;
• Make at least one business trip to New Brunswick; and
• Meet with an NBPNP official following the interview.

This stream targets individuals who have worked in New Brunswick and have close family ties in the province. A family member must sponsor the skilled worker applicant. The applicant must be related to the family supporter in one of the following ways:

• Non-dependent child,
• Brother or sister,
• Niece or nephew (children of brothers or sisters), or
• Grandchild.

To qualify, a Family Supporter must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or Canadian permanent resident, and reside full-time in New Brunswick;
• Have been operating a business in New Brunswick for at least 12 consecutive months at the date of receipt of the NBPNP application; or
• Have been working in New Brunswick for at least 12 consecutive months at the date of receipt of the NBPNP application;
  • The job must be represented in one of the following NOC skill levels:
    • Skill levels 0, A, B
    • Skill level C, Category 1, 3, 7, 8, or 9
• Be financially self-supporting;
• Participate in an interview with an official from the Population Growth Division;
• Assist the applicant with a settlement plan; and
• Support only one applicant at a time.

To learn more about the NBPNP Skilled Worker with Family Support Stream,click here.

• Be between 22 and 50 years of age;
• Have sufficient English or French ability to settle in New Brunswick and fulfil the job duties in their intended occupation. Language test results must be no more than two years old and must come from a designated testing agency;
  • English:
    • IELTS (General Training Test only)
    • CELPIP (General Test only)
  • French:
    • TEF
• Have the education, qualifications, and/or licence/certification needed to perform the job duties in their intended occupation;
  • Applicants must have either a post-secondary academic degree requiring at minimum three years of full-time study, or a diploma in a specific trade requiring at minimum two years of full-time study.
• Have at least two years of continuous, full-time work experience in their intended occupation in New Brunswick, within the last five years;
• The job must be represented in one of the following National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill levels:
  • Skill levels O, A or B
  • Skill level C, Category 1, 3, 7, 8, or 9
  • Skill level D, Category 1, 3, 7, 8, or 9
• Demonstrate an intent to live and work in New Brunswick and submit a Settlement Plan approved by an immigration Program Officer; and
• Have the funds to settle in New Brunswick.
  • A minimum of $10,000 CAD, and an additional $2,000 for each accompanying family member are required.

This stream targets individuals who have received a full-time, permanent job offer from a New Brunswick employer. To qualify under this stream, employers must be able to prove that:

• They were unable to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the position offered;
• The job will comply with provincial wage and employment standards.

To learn more about the NBPNP Skilled Worker with Employer Support Stream, click here.

Eligible applicants to this stream must meet the following criteria:

• Be between 22 and 55 years of age;
• Have sufficient English or French to fulfill job duties (at minimum a basic level of proficiency);
  • Applicants in semi- and low-skilled occupations (NOC levels C and D) are required to undergo mandatory testing at a designated testing agency and may be asked to submit the results with their application.
  • Designated testing agencies include:
    • English:
      • IELTS (General Training Test only)
      • CELPIP (General Test only)
    • French:
      • TEF
• Have the education, qualifications, and/or licenses and certification needed to perform the job in New Brunswick;
  • Applicants must have at least a high school level of education
• Receive a genuine full-time, permanent offer of employment from an eligible New Brunswick employer;
  • The business must have been operating in the province for at least one year.
  • Applicants must demonstrate that they have been interviewed and hired by the future employer.
  • The job must be represented in one of the following NOC skill levels:
    • Skill levels 0, A, or B
    • Skill level C, Skill type 1, 3, 7, 8, or 9
    • Skill level D, Skill type 1, 3, 7, 8, or 9
  • Applicants in C or D level occupations must have already been working for the same employer issuing the job offer for at least one year prior to application.
• Demonstrate an intention to live and work in New Brunswick; and
• Score a minimum of 50 points on a selection grid.

This stream allows the NBPNP to use the federal Express Entry immigration selection system to meet New Brunswick’s specific labour market and demographic needs.

The New Brunswick Express Entry Labour Market Stream (NB-EELMS) operates under an 'Expression of Interest' (EOI) model. Candidates may complete an EOI form and send it to the NBPNP, which receives forms from the first to the 15th of each month. Candidates are assigned a score based on the information provided, after which they are assessed according to the a variety of other criteria.

The highest ranked candidates are invited to apply to the NBPNP by email. Applicants to the NBPNP will, if nominated, be processed through the federal government’s Express Entry electronic immigration management system, which aims to process complete applications within six months of submission.

To learn more about the New Brunswick Express Entry Labour Market Stream, click here.

In order to qualify for the NB - EELMS, candidates must:

• Be between the ages of 22 and 55;
• Demonstrate proficiency in each of the four language abilities (speaking, reading, writing, and listening) equivalent to or greater than Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7. Language test results must be no more than two years old and must come from a designated agency: IELTS (General Training Test only) for English; CELPIP (General test only) for English; or TEF for French;
• Have a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary educational credential (at least one academic year in length) OR a completed foreign educational credential from a recognized institution or authority. In the case of a foreign educational credential, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report, issued by an organization designated by IRCC, is required;
  • If the applicant is being considered for provincial nomination under an occupation, he or she will require a valid job offer from a New Brunswick employer.
• Have at least 12 months full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) paid skilled work experience in New Brunswick in the three years before the application is made, which cannot have been gained through self-employment or while you were a full-time student (volunteer work, unpaid internships, co-op terms, etc. do not count) and which is in NOC Skill Type 0, Skill Level A or B;
• Sign and submit a Commitment to Live and Work in New Brunswick form; and
• Show sufficient funds to support the settlement of themselves as well as all dependent family members. The required amount of funds varies depending on family size.
  • proof of sufficient funds is not necessary if the applicant has a valid job offer in Canada, or if he or she is currently working or authorized to work in Canada.

Additionally, potential candidates must score at least 67 out of 100 points on a points grid that measures a number of selection factors including education, language ability, work experience, age, adaptability factors, and whether the candidate has an arranged job offer from a New Brunswick-based employer.

Some applicants may be required to attend an in-person interview in New Brunswick. Applicants will be notified if such an interview is required.

As part of any PNP application, applicants are required to submit a Settlement Plan indicating why they wish to live in the province and how they intend to settle. Applicants are also required to sign an ‘intention to reside’ document with their application. That being said, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents are allowed to work and reside in any location across Canada. Once an individual obtains Canadian permanent residence, he or she has the right to work and reside in any Canadian province or territory.