With its stunning North East coastline and wonderful scenery, New Brunswick is also the only province of Canada that has two official languages. Around 30% of the population speak French as a first language, hence its appeal to immigrants from French-speaking countries.
New Brunswick actively encourages persons intending to settle and work in the province with skills and experience beneficial to the local economy. The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) targets potential permanent residents and may issue them with a New Brunswick provincial nomination certificate, allowing them to apply for permanent residence via one of the following NBPNP pathways.
Express Entry Labour Market Stream – using an Expression of Interest (EOI) scheme, this stream is aligned with the federal government-run Express Entry pathway. It allows New Brunswick to select candidates from the Express Entry pool who have a valid profile. Express Entry works as follows:
Express Entry is a fast-track process that applies to applicants using the New Brunswick Express Entry program. The applicant is required to submit an online profile. This will include details of their age, marital status, work experience, education, and other details. A rank will be determined using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Those who score highly on the CRS, which is a pass or fail assessment, will be put into the Express Entry Pool. From the pool, a draw is made regularly and those who are successful are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
At this stage, they can begin applying for permanent residence in New Brunswick. As with all pathways, there are strict criteria that must be met.
Skilled Workers with Employer Support – individuals who have a valid, full-time job offer from a New Brunswick employer in a role that is considered of value are encouraged to apply via this route. Applicants must be between 22 and 55 years of age and are required to meet specified standards of proficiency in English or French, and to have acceptable levels of skills and experience.
Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Scheme – persons who have gained a recognized academic qualification from a New Brunswick educational institution, or who have taken on a business in the province or started a new one may apply via this pathway. Applicants may be between 22 and 40 years of age and must prove language proficiency as required plus further criteria.
Entrepreneurial Scheme – applicants must be intending to start and manage a business in New Brunswick and invest a set monetary amount. They must be between 22 and 55 years of age and meet the required levels of proficiency in either English or French as well as further criteria.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot Programme – the Atlantic regions of Canada are in great need of skilled workers, hence New Brunswick is one of four provinces taking part in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Scheme run by the Canadian Government. Applicants may be in Canada or otherwise at the time of application and must have a job offer from a New Brunswick employer and meet the criteria for the program.
Interested candidates should note that the New Brunswick Skilled Workers with Family Support pathway closed in 2018 on a permanent basis.