New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program – Priority Occupations Stream

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa/Stream name	New Brunswick Priority Occupations
Stay	Permanent residence pathway (via provincial nomination)
Cost	$250 provincial fee; EOI is free
Eligibility timing	Met at both EOI and application
Work rights	Full-time employment with supporting employer
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 sponsorship	Spouse, partner, and dependent children included
Age requirement	At least 19 years old
Language threshold	Minimum CLB/NCLC 4 in all abilities
Nomination validity	6 months from issue date

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Purpose & Overview

The New Brunswick Priority Occupations stream provides a provincial nomination pathway to Canadian permanent residence for skilled foreign nationals who have received a genuine, full-time job offer in a designated priority occupation through a Government of New Brunswick recruitment mission.

Ineligibility

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.
• Have been refused for misrepresentation under any immigration program within the past 5 years.
• Are not living lawfully in your country of residence.
• Have been refused admission to, or ordered to leave, Canada or any other country/territory.
• Are working in Canada without authorization.
• Have an active, approved, or failed claim for refugee protection or humanitarian and compassionate consideration in Canada.

Candidate Eligibility

Candidates must satisfy all criteria at the time of Expression of Interest (EOI) submission and application:

• Age: At least 19 years old.
• Job Offer: A full-time (minimum 30 hours per week / 1,560 hours per year), non-seasonal (year-round) job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer willing to support the application. The offer must be a direct result of a Government of New Brunswick-led recruitment mission.
• Competitive Base Wage: The wage must align with regional Job Bank wage ranges for the occupation and match the employer's internal pay structure. Bonuses, tips, commissions, overtime, or allowances are excluded from the base wage calculation.
• Licensing: Valid license or certification if working in a regulated or designated occupation.
• Work Experience: At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid, related work experience accumulated over at least 12 months in the last 5 years (in Canada or abroad). Self-employment experience requires third-party proof.
• Education: Minimum of a Canadian high school diploma or foreign equivalent. Foreign education requires an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes issued by a designated body within the last 5 years. Education must satisfy the NOC requirements for the position.
• Language Skills: Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) score of 4 across all four competencies (reading, writing, listening, speaking). Test results must be less than 2 years old at application.

Test	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
IELTS – General Training	3.5	4.0	4.5	4.0
CELPIP – General Test	4	4	4	4
PTE Core	33	41	28	42
TEF Canada	306	268	306	328
TCF Canada	342	4	331	4

Note: Scores from two different test reports cannot be combined.

• Intent to Reside: Must demonstrate the intention and ability to live and work in New Brunswick permanently based on residential, employment, community, or familial ties.

Priority NOC Codes

Health Care

• 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
• 32101 – Licensed practical nurses
• 32109 – Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
• 32124 – Pharmacy technicians
• 33101 – Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
• 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
• 33109 – Other assisting occupations in support of health services
• 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers, and related occupations

Education

• 41220 – Secondary school teachers
• 41221 – Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
• 42201 – Social and community service workers
• 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants
• 43100 – Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants

Construction Trades

• 70010 – Construction managers
• 70011 – Home building and renovation managers
• 72011 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades, and telecommunications occupations
• 72014 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers, and servicers
• 72020 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
• 72102 – Sheet metal workers
• 72106 – Welders and related machine operators
• 72200 – Electricians (except industrial and power system)
• 72201 – Industrial electricians
• 72310 – Carpenters
• 72320 – Bricklayers
• 72401 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
• 72402 – Heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning mechanics
• 72500 – Crane operators
• 73100 – Concrete finishers
• 73102 – Plasterers, drywall installers, and finishers and lathers
• 73110 – Roofers and shinglers
• 73200 – Residential and commercial installers and servicers
• 73400 – Heavy equipment operators
• 75110 – Construction trades helpers and labourers

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Employer Requirements

The supporting employer must:

1. Active Operations: Be actively operating in New Brunswick for at least the past 24 months from an owned or leased commercial facility with clear signage, street/mailing addresses, and dedicated business telephone service.
2. Registration & Compliance: Be registered with the NB Registry of Employers of Foreign Workers and remain in good standing under the Employment Standards Act (ESA), Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), and Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).
3. Genuine Relationship: Maintain a direct employment relationship (placement agencies cannot support candidates). Neither the candidate nor their spouse/partner may be a majority shareholder.
4. Recruitment & Shortage: Demonstrate a genuine labour need. Job ads must have run for at least 4 weeks within the 6 months prior to the offer across at least two recruitment methods (print, online, job fairs, or on-site signage) without favouring foreign criteria.
5. Support & Compliance Fee: Complete the NB-004 Employment Information form, submit an offer of employment, and pay the non-recoverable $230 IRCC employer compliance fee through the IRCC Employer Portal.

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Family Provisions

Family members must be declared in the application even if they are not immigrating. Eligible family members include:

• Spouse or common-law partner.
• Dependent children who are:
  • Under 22 years of age and unmarried/not in a common-law relationship; or
  • 22 years of age or older, continuously dependent on parental financial support since before age 22, and unable to be financially self-supporting due to a physical or mental condition.

No additional provincial processing fee is charged for accompanying family members.

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Required Documents & Formatting

Document Standards

• Format: PDF uploaded via the INB portal; file size max 2 GB each.
• Image documents must be in full colour; text documents may be black and white.
• Documents must be unaltered, clear, legible, dated, and signed where required.

Mandatory Documents to Avoid Immediate Application Closure

• Valid language test results (< 2 years old).
• Canadian education credentials or valid ECA report (< 5 years old).
• Completed and signed NB-004 Employment Information form.
• Job offer/contract and reference letters detailing positions, hours, duties, and pay.

Translation Rules

• Documents not in English or French must include the original copy and an official translation.
• Translations cannot be completed by the applicant, a relative, or a paid immigration representative.
• Submissions must include proof of translator certification or an affidavit if the translator is non-certified.

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Application Steps

1. Receive Job Offer: Secure a qualifying, full-time job offer from an eligible New Brunswick employer via a provincial recruitment mission.
2. Submit Expression of Interest (EOI): Free of charge through the INB portal. Provide language, employment, and form NB-004 details.
3. Invitation to Apply (ITA): If selected, submit a complete provincial application with all supporting evidence within 20 calendar days and pay the non-refundable $250 fee via the INB portal.
4. Assessment & Procedural Fairness: ImmigrationNB verifies completeness and criteria. If issues arise, a Procedural Fairness Letter (PFL) will be issued with a strict deadline to respond.
5. Provincial Nomination: Successful applicants receive an electronic nomination certificate via the INB portal valid for 6 months.
6. Federal PR Application: Apply for permanent residence to IRCC before the 6-month nomination certificate expires.
7. Post-Landing Notification: Within 30 days of receiving the signed Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), log in to the INB portal and click "Report PR Landing".

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Important Warnings & Obligations

• Single Active Application: You may maintain only one active application with ImmigrationNB at a time. The immigration stream cannot be changed once submitted.
• Non-Refundable Fees: The $250 application fee is non-refundable regardless of refusal, withdrawal, or administrative closure.
• Nomination Conditions: You must maintain the conditions of your provincial nomination while your IRCC permanent residence application is being processed.
• Employer Compliance Fee: Employers are legally prohibited from recovering the $230 IRCC compliance fee from the worker.
• Final Authority: A provincial nomination does not guarantee permanent residence approval; IRCC retains final authority over statutory, medical, criminal, and security assessments.