New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)

New Brunswick is one of the four Atlantic Canadian provinces, located on its eastern coast. The Constitution of Canada says that New Brunswick is the only bilingual province in the country. The economy of this province is based on agriculture, forestry, food processing, freight transport, media, oil, and shipbuilding. 

New Brunswick invites potential immigrants with relevant skills and experience to apply for permanent residency through its provincial program known as New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program. A qualifying foreign national receives a New Brunswick provincial nomination certificate, and then he or she can apply for permanent resident status with the government of Canada.

The NBPNP invites applications for permanent residence in Canada under various categories. MakeHomeCanada has listed these categories with a brief description so that you can determine if New Brunswick’s immigrant nominee program is the right option for you.                

• Express Entry Labour Market Stream
• Skilled Workers with Employer Support
• Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream
• Entrepreneurial Stream
• Skilled Workers with Family Support
• Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program

Express Entry Labour Market Stream

This stream is aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration system, and functions under an “Expression of Interest” system. The purpose of this stream of NBPNP is to fulfill the labour market needs of the province. 

To qualify for this stream, a candidate must:

• Be 22 to 55 years old;
• Show language proficiency equivalent or above the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7, also the test results must not be older than two years;
• Have an educational credential from an eligible Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution, or a foreign educational credential from an eligible institution. In the case of foreign credential, the applicant has to obtain an Educational Credential Report (ECA) report, issued by the IRCC (formerly Citizenship and Immigration Canada);
• Have a minimum relevant experience of 12 months (only Skill Type 0 and Skill Level A and B are eligible to apply under this stream);
• Sign and submit a Commitment to Live and Work in New Brunswick form; and
• Show sufficient funds to support himself and accompanying family members.

Skilled Workers with Employer Support

This stream enables the NBPNP to nominate applicants who have obtained a full-time job offer from an employer in New Brunswick.

To qualify for this stream, a candidate must:

• Be 22 to 55 years old;
• Prove enough language ability to carry your job duties, through a designated testing organization:
  • English:
    • International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
    • Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
  • French:
    • Test d’Évaluation de Français (TEF)

• Have relevant education, qualifications, and certification required to perform the job;
• Obtain a valid full-time job offer from an employer in New Brunswick; and
• Score at least 50 points on a selection grid including factors:
• Age – up to 10 points
• Education – up to 18 points
• Work Experience – up to 10 points
• Language Ability – up to 15 points
• Adaptability – up to 25 points

Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream

This stream enables the NBPNP to target international students who have obtained a post-graduate degree from an eligible institution in New Brunswick. An international student must be eligible under this stream when he has established a new business or acquired an existing business.

To qualify for this stream, a candidate must:

• Be 22 to 40 years old;
• Show language proficiency equivalent or above the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in either English or French;
• Score at least 65 out of 100 points in the PGES assessment;
• Have completed a full-time degree or diploma of at least two years from an eligible university or college in the province;
• Have owned or managed a business in New Brunswick for at least one year;
• Have a valid post-graduation work permit; and
• Show intent to settle in New Brunswick.

Selection factors under the EOI system for this stream include:

• Age – up to 10 points
• Education – up to 25 points
• Work Experience – up to 10 points
• Language Ability – up to 35 points
• Economic Benefit of Business – up to 10 points
• Adaptability – up to 10 points

Entrepreneurial Stream

This stream enables the NBPNP to target those individuals who are willing to either establish or manage a business in the province. Also, these applicants must be willing to make a business investment.

To qualify for this stream, a candidate must:

• Be 22 to 55 years old;
• Have a minimum two-year of post-secondary education;
• Have a minimum of CLB 5 in English or French;
• Show intent to settle in the province;
• Provide a business plan;
• Have a personal net worth of at least CAD $600,000, out of which CAD $300,000 should be free from debts;
• Have at least 3 out of 5 years of work experience either a business owner or senior manager;
• Want to settle permanently in the province as a permanent resident, while owning a business;
• Show that the business concept will be able to contribute to economic growth; and
• Score a minimum of at least 65 points on a selection grid including factors:
• • Age – For 22 to 24 years (5 points), 24 to 50 years (10 points), and 50 to 55 years (5 points)
  • Language – up to 25 points
  • Education – up to 25 points
  • Personal Net worth – No points are rewarded, but the candidate must be able to answer in yes or no
  • Business ownership/senior management experience – up to 20 points
  • Business concept – up to 15 points
  • Adaptability – up to 5 points

Skilled Workers with Family Support

NOTE: This category is no more active with effect from February 16, 2018.

This stream enables the NBPNP to nominate those individuals who have strong family connections with the province and have worked in the province.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP)

New Brunswick is a participant in the AIPP with the other three Atlantic provinces. Under this program, the province is working with the Canadian government to fulfill the labour-market need in Atlantic Canada. Applicants under this stream include foreign workers who may be living outside of Canada or within Canada on temporary resident status. To qualify, candidates must also have a valid job offer from an eligible employer in the province.

Employers have to meet criteria to be eligible under AIPP, employers have to show that:

• They want to hire full-time, non-seasonal international candidates;
• Their business is in good operating condition; and
• Able to meet the financial requirements of the newcomer and his accompanying family.

Still wondering, where to start with your application process for New Brunswick? Do not worry, Make home Canada is here at your service. Contact our expert immigration consultants for all your doubts and queries about the Canadian immigration process. We will assist you with the different streams to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents. You can get a brief about various immigration programs based on different provinces and territories for Canadian residency. Let us be part of your immigration journey to Canada.