New Brunswick Francophone Priorities

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa / Stream Name	New Brunswick Francophone Priorities
Stay	Leads to permanent residence via IRCC
Nomination Fee	$250 non-refundable fee
EOI Cost	Free of charge
Eligibility Timing	Must meet criteria at EOI and application
Work Rights	Not stated in the source
Study Rights	Not stated in the source
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel Facility	Not stated in the source
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family Inclusion	Spouse, partner, and dependent children included
Visa Record	Not stated in the source
Language Requirement	Minimum NCLC 5 in all four skills
Nomination Validity	6 months from issue date
Selection Pass Mark	Minimum 65 out of 100 points

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Purpose and Overview

The New Brunswick Francophone Priorities stream provides a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for French-speaking individuals who have the intent and ability to live and work permanently in New Brunswick. Nominated applicants apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residency.

Who Cannot Apply

Do not apply if you:

• Are currently enrolled in post-secondary education in Canada;
• Have an active immigration application in process in any Canadian province or territory;
• Were refused for misrepresentation under any immigration program within the past 5 years;
• Are not residing lawfully in your current country of residence;
• Have been refused admission to, or ordered to leave, Canada or another country/territory;
• Are working in Canada without authorization; or
• Have an active, approved, or failed refugee or humanitarian and compassionate claim in Canada.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

Candidates must meet all minimum requirements both when submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) and when submitting the nomination application.

• Age: At least 19 years old.
• Intent to Reside: Must demonstrate genuine intent and ability to settle economically and live in New Brunswick permanently through residential, employment, community, or familial ties.
• French Language Proficiency:
  • Test results from TEF Canada or TCF Canada.
  • Minimum score of NCLC 5 in all four abilities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
  • Test results must be less than 2 years old at application. Scores from multiple tests cannot be combined if the most recent test is lower than required.
• Education: Minimum Canadian high school diploma or foreign equivalent. Foreign credentials require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes that is less than 5 years old.
• Francophone Priorities Criterion (Must meet at least one):
  1. NB Graduate: Living in New Brunswick and completed a program of study of at least 1 year at Université de Moncton or Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB), while physically present in the province for the full duration.
  2. Letter of Interest: Received a Letter of Interest from Immigration New Brunswick.
• Work Experience:
  • At least 1 year (1,560 hours over at least 12 months) of paid work within the past 10 years in the designated National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.
  • Work experience is exempt if you completed a 1+ year post-secondary program at an NB designated learning institution (DLI).
  • Self-employment must be verified by independent third parties and cannot be in the retail food or accommodation sectors.
• Settlement Funds: Must provide proof of unborrowed settlement funds matching federal requirements based on family size. Exempt from minimum proof of fund amounts if currently living in NB or holding an NB job offer (assets and liabilities must still be declared).
• Settlement Plan: A Strategic Initiative settlement plan is required if not currently living in New Brunswick.

Selection Factors Grid (Pass Mark: 65 / 100)

1. Age (Maximum 12 points)

Age	Points
19 to 24	4
25 to 44	12
45 to 50	4
51 or older	0

2. French Language Skills (Maximum 28 points)

NCLC Level per Ability	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
NCLC 7 or higher	7	7	7	7
NCLC 6	6	6	6	6
NCLC 5	5	5	5	5

3. Education (Maximum 25 points)

Level of Education	Points
Doctoral (Ph.D.), Master’s, or Professional Degree (Medicine, Law, Dentistry, etc.)	25
Two or more post-secondary credentials (one must be 3+ years)	22
Post-secondary program of 3 or more years	21
Post-secondary program of 2 years	19
Post-secondary program of 1 year	17
High school diploma	15

4. Work Experience (Maximum 15 points)

Qualifying Work Experience (Past 10 Years)	Points
6 or more years	15
4 to 5 years	12
1 to 3 years	10

5. Adaptability (Maximum 20 points)

Factor	Points
At least 1 year of authorized, full-time paid work in NB	15
Permanent, full-time, non-seasonal job or job offer with an eligible NB employer	15
Completed full-time, in-person post-secondary program (1+ year) at an NB DLI	5
Qualifying relative (age 18+) living in NB as a PR or citizen for 12+ months	5
Spouse/partner has at least CLB/NCLC 5 in all four skills	5
Spouse/partner has at least 1 year of authorized, full-time paid work in NB	5

Employer Eligibility (When Applicable)

If supported by a New Brunswick employer:

• The employer must be registered with the NB Registry of Employers of Foreign Workers, operate an active physical business in NB for at least 12 months, and maintain good legal standing.
• Transport Truck Drivers (NOC 73300): Employer must be registered with the NB International Registration Plan (IRP) for at least 24 consecutive months.
• Recruitment: Employer must demonstrate genuine recruitment efforts (active ads for 4+ weeks across 2 media within the 6 months prior to the offer) unless the applicant holds an LMIA-exempt work permit.
• Work Permit Support: If supporting a closed work permit, the employer must complete the NB-004 form and pay the $230 federal compliance fee (which cannot be recovered from the applicant).

Family Provisions

• Applications include the principal applicant, spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children.
• A dependent is under 22 years of age and unmarried, or 22 years and older if continuously dependent due to a physical or mental condition.
• All family members must be declared and documented, even if not accompanying the applicant to Canada.
• There is no extra provincial application fee for family members.

Application Steps

1. Expression of Interest (EOI): Submit a profile through the INB portal at no cost.
2. Invitation to Apply (ITA): If invited, submit a full nomination application within 20 calendar days and pay the non-refundable $250 processing fee.
3. Assessment: ImmigrationNB reviews documentation, checks completeness, and may request extra details, conduct interviews, or issue a Procedural Fairness Letter (PFL).
4. Provincial Nomination: Successful applicants receive a Nomination Certificate in the INB portal (valid for 6 months).
5. Federal Application: Apply to IRCC for permanent residence before the certificate expires.
6. PR Decision & Landing: If approved by IRCC, report your landing in the INB portal within 30 days of receiving your signed Confirmation of Permanent Residence.

Document and Translation Requirements

• Applications will be closed without assessment if mandatory valid language tests (<2 years old) or ECAs (<5 years old) are missing.
• Documents not in English or French must include a copy of the original document and an official translation by an independent third party.
• If the translator is not certified, an accompanying affidavit is mandatory. Applicants and representatives cannot translate documents.