Immigration Guide

New Brunswick PNP (NBPNP) Guide 2026: Streams, Stream Status, Fees and Steps

By Alex Francisco Updated Oct 8, 2026 Figures checked Oct 8, 2026 10 min read

What is the New Brunswick PNP, and which NBPNP streams are open?

The New Brunswick PNP, officially the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), nominates workers, graduates and entrepreneurs for permanent residence through 4 streams and 2 pilot programs. On October 8, 2026 no NBPNP stream carried a pause notice, but new Skilled Worker invitations under the New Brunswick Experience pathway have been limited to health care, education and construction since May 4, 2026. An expression of interest is free; the nomination application costs $250, or $2,000 for the Business Immigration stream.

The NBPNP page on gnb.ca lists 4 streams (Skilled Worker, Express Entry, Strategic Initiative, Business Immigration) and 2 pilot programs (Critical Worker Pilot, Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program).
New Brunswick prints no open or closed label on its stream pages. On October 8, 2026 no NBPNP stream had a pause notice; the only pause on the notices page was Atlantic Immigration Program employer designation, a separate program.
Since May 4, 2026, new invitations under the Skilled Worker stream's New Brunswick Experience pathway are limited to health care, education and construction occupations, until further notice.
Submitting an expression of interest is free and it stays valid for 365 days. The non-refundable nomination application fee is $250, or $2,000 for the Business Immigration stream, paid only after an invitation.
The latest rounds on gnb.ca were held in September 2026: 197 Skilled Worker invitations, 102 Express Entry invitations and 251 Strategic Initiative invitations. No October 2026 round was listed on October 8, 2026.
A nomination is not permanent residence: IRCC makes the final decision, and a nomination through the Express Entry stream adds 600 points to a Comprehensive Ranking System score.

— YieldMaple, figures checked against official sources on October 8, 2026. Sources

The New Brunswick PNP is the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), run by Immigration New Brunswick. This guide covers the streams as gnb.ca lists them, the status of each one, the requirements, the fees, the steps and every invitation round published for 2026. Every figure comes from Government of New Brunswick pages read on October 8, 2026, plus IRCC for the Express Entry points. The page is education, not immigration advice; the status of a specific expression of interest or application is shown in the candidate’s own INB account.

What are the New Brunswick PNP streams in 2026?

The NBPNP page lists 4 streams and 2 pilot programs. The table uses New Brunswick’s own names, and the status column records what the province’s pages stated on October 8, 2026.

NBPNP streams and pilot programs, with status on October 8, 2026

How to read this table: New Brunswick does not print an open or closed label on its stream pages. The status column repeats what the stream pages and the important notices page say. A dash in the fee column means the pilot page states no candidate fee.

Type	Stream or pilot	Who it is for	Status as stated on gnb.ca	Application fee
Stream	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	Foreign workers with a full-time, non-seasonal job or job offer in New Brunswick	Taking expressions of interest; scheduled invitation draws. Since May 4, 2026 new invitations under the New Brunswick Experience pathway are limited to health care, education and construction occupations, until further notice. Since February 3, 2026 expressions of interest from the accommodation and food services sector and from 14 listed occupations are not considered.	$250
Stream	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Highly skilled foreign nationals in the federal Express Entry pool	Taking expressions of interest; scheduled invitation draws. Since February 3, 2026 expressions of interest from the accommodation and food services sector and from 14 listed occupations are not considered.	$250
Stream	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	French-speaking foreign nationals who want to live and work in New Brunswick	Taking expressions of interest; scheduled invitation draws. No restriction notice applies to this stream.	$250
Stream	New Brunswick Business Immigration stream	Experienced entrepreneurs who start or buy a business in New Brunswick and run it day to day	Taking expressions of interest; by invitation, with no published draws. The stream page calls it the current and active stream that replaced the Entrepreneurial stream.	$2,000
Pilot program	New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot	Workers with a job offer from one of 6 participating employers	Employer-driven; no direct applications from candidates. The pilot page says it is not currently open to broader participation.	—
Pilot program	New Brunswick Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program	International graduates of select education, social development and health programs who are not eligible for a post-graduation work permit	Extended in a limited capacity through to the end of 2027, for students already registered in specific programs of study.	$250

Each stream can have several pathways, but a candidate only chooses a stream. The answers given in the expression of interest questionnaire decide which pathways apply.

Which NBPNP streams are open, limited or paused?

No NBPNP stream carried a pause notice on October 8, 2026. What the province does publish is a set of dated limits, and they matter more than a label would.

Dated restrictions on New Brunswick immigration streams

How to read this table: taken from the important notices page of Immigration New Brunswick. The last row concerns the Atlantic Immigration Program, which is not an NBPNP stream; it is listed because it is the only item the page describes as paused.

In effect since	Applies to	What the notice says
February 3, 2026	Skilled Worker stream and Express Entry stream	Expressions of interest from candidates working in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72) are not considered. The notice names 13 occupation codes as examples and says the list is not complete.
February 3, 2026	Skilled Worker stream and Express Entry stream	Expressions of interest from candidates in 14 listed retail, shipping, customer service and food or fish processing occupations are not considered, whatever the sector.
May 4, 2026	Skilled Worker stream, New Brunswick Experience pathway	New invitations to apply are limited to occupations in health care, education and construction, until further notice, because of limited remaining allocation.
September 14, 2026	Atlantic Immigration Program (not part of the NBPNP)	Employer designation applications stay paused for the remainder of 2026.

Stream by stream, as officially stated:

Skilled Worker stream: taking expressions of interest, with scheduled invitation draws. Since May 4, 2026, and until further notice, new invitations under the New Brunswick Experience pathway go only to occupations in health care, education and construction. The province’s stated reason is limited remaining allocation under the stream.
Express Entry stream: taking expressions of interest, with scheduled invitation draws. The sector and occupation restrictions of February 3, 2026 apply.
Strategic Initiative: taking expressions of interest, with scheduled invitation draws. No restriction notice names this stream.
Business Immigration stream: by invitation after an expression of interest. The stream page calls it the current and active stream; it replaced the Entrepreneurial stream. No draws are published for it.
Critical Worker Pilot: employer-driven. The pilot page says the program does not accept direct applications from candidates and is not currently open to broader participation.
Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program: launched in September 2022 as a 3-year project and extended in a limited capacity through to the end of 2027, for international students already registered in specific programs.

The only pause on the notices page is not for the NBPNP: since September 14, 2026 the acceptance of employer designation applications under the Atlantic Immigration Program stays on pause for the remainder of 2026.

What are the requirements for each NBPNP stream?

The table shows the base requirements each stream page lists. The Critical Worker Pilot is left out because its criteria are set out in a separate guide for candidates recruited by its participating employers.

NBPNP base requirements by stream

How to read this table: CLB is the Canadian Language Benchmarks scale and NCLC is its French equivalent. TEER categories come from the National Occupational Classification. Each pathway adds its own conditions, shown in the next table.

Stream or pilot	Age	Language	Education	Work experience	Job or job offer	Selection grid
New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	At least 19	CLB 4 in all four skills	High school diploma (New Brunswick Experience pathway)	Depends on the pathway	Required: full-time, non-seasonal job or offer from an eligible employer operating in New Brunswick for the past 24 months	No points grid
New Brunswick Express Entry stream	19 to 55	CLB 7 in all four skills	Canadian high school diploma or foreign equivalent	1 year of continuous work in one TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation within the past 10 years	Required for the Employment in New Brunswick pathway; not for the New Brunswick Interest pathway	At least 67 out of 100
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	At least 19	NCLC 5 in all four French skills	Canadian high school diploma or foreign equivalent	1 year of qualifying work within the past 5 years (not required for graduates of a New Brunswick post-secondary institution)	Required for the Francophone Workers in New Brunswick pathway; depends on the pathway otherwise	At least 65 out of 100
New Brunswick Business Immigration stream	19 to 59	CLB 4 in all four skills	Canadian high school diploma or foreign equivalent	2 years of ownership or senior management within the last 5 years	No job offer; a business plan instead	At least 65 out of 100
New Brunswick Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program	At least 19	CLB 5 in all four skills	Eligible program at a participating private career college in New Brunswick	Not listed	Required: full-time, non-seasonal offer directly related to the program of study	No points grid

Language levels are stated as CLB or NCLC levels, not test scores. The IELTS to CLB conversion guide shows where a test result lands on that scale.

Pathways inside each stream

NBPNP pathways and what each one adds

How to read this table: pathway names follow the stream pages on gnb.ca. Each pathway has its own application guide, linked from its stream page.

Stream	Pathway	Extra conditions
New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience	Working full time in a non-seasonal position for the supporting employer; at least six months of full-time work with that employer; living in New Brunswick for the past six months; at least a high school diploma
New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Graduates	A completed program that is eligible for a post-graduation work permit at a designated learning institution in New Brunswick; working in, or having accepted, a full-time non-seasonal position with the supporting employer
New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Priority Occupations	An accepted full-time, non-seasonal job offer that results directly from a recruitment mission led by the Government of New Brunswick, in a priority occupation code named in the guide; at least one year of related paid work experience
New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	Working full time in a non-seasonal TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 position for an eligible employer; living and working full time in New Brunswick for the past 12 months while authorized to work in Canada
New Brunswick Express Entry stream	New Brunswick Interest	A letter of interest received in the federal Express Entry profile; meeting the federal proof of funds requirement
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	Francophone Workers in New Brunswick	Working in, or having accepted, a permanent, full-time, year-round position with an employer operating in New Brunswick for the past 12 months; living in New Brunswick for at least six months, unless the job came through a government-led recruitment mission
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	New Brunswick Francophone Priorities	Either a Francophone graduate living in New Brunswick who completed an in-person program of at least one year at the Université de Moncton or the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick and was physically present in the province for the whole program, or a person who received a letter of interest from Immigration New Brunswick
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	Francophones Working Remotely in New Brunswick	Living in New Brunswick for 12 months and working remotely for a Canadian employer located outside Quebec for that whole period

Three details stand out:

The employer has to qualify too. For the Skilled Worker stream and the Express Entry stream’s Employment in New Brunswick pathway, the employer must have been actively operating in New Brunswick for the past 24 months. The Francophone Workers in New Brunswick pathway sets that at 12 months.
Graduates have their own pathway. The New Brunswick Graduates pathway is tied to a program that is eligible for a post-graduation work permit; the PGWP guide explains which programs qualify and how long the permit lasts.
Three streams use a points grid. The Express Entry stream requires at least 67 out of 100 on its selection factor grid, and the Strategic Initiative and the Business Immigration stream each require 65 out of 100. The Skilled Worker stream has no points grid.

How much does the New Brunswick PNP cost?

An expression of interest costs nothing. The fee comes later: an invited candidate pays a non-refundable application fee before submitting the complete nomination application.

NBPNP fees

How to read this table: amounts are the provincial fees printed on each stream page. A dash means the page states no fee. The employer compliance fee is a federal fee paid in the Employer Portal.

Fee	Amount	Paid by	When
Expression of interest, any stream or pilot	$0	Candidate	No charge to submit
Nomination application: Skilled Worker stream	$250	Candidate	Before submitting the complete application, after an invitation; non-refundable
Nomination application: Express Entry stream	$250	Candidate	Before submitting the complete application, after an invitation; non-refundable
Nomination application: Strategic Initiative	$250	Candidate	Before submitting the complete application, after an invitation; non-refundable
Nomination application: Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program	$250	Candidate	Before submitting the complete application, after an invitation; non-refundable
Nomination application: Business Immigration stream	$2,000	Candidate	Before submitting the complete application, after an invitation; non-refundable
Nomination application: Critical Worker Pilot	—	Not stated	The pilot page states no candidate fee
Employer compliance fee for a closed work permit	$230	Employer	When the employer submits the offer of employment in the federal Employer Portal; it cannot be taken from the worker

The fee is the same $250 across the worker and graduate routes, and $2,000 for the Business Immigration stream. Two points on money that candidates often miss:

The employer pays the compliance fee. When a nominee needs a closed work permit, the employer submits an offer of employment in the federal Employer Portal and pays the $230 compliance fee. New Brunswick states that the fee cannot be taken from the worker in any way.
Federal fees come on top. After a nomination, the nominee applies to IRCC and pays its permanent residence fees, which are set out in the Canada PR fees guide.

Some routes also require proof of funds: the Express Entry stream’s New Brunswick Interest pathway uses the federal proof of funds requirement, and the Strategic Initiative has its own requirement, waived for people living in New Brunswick or holding a valid job offer from a New Brunswick employer. The settlement funds checker shows the federal amounts by family size.

How do you apply to the New Brunswick PNP?

Every stream starts with an expression of interest submitted through an INB account, the Immigration New Brunswick online portal. An expression of interest is not an application, and submitting one does not guarantee an invitation, even for a candidate who meets the criteria.

NBPNP steps, costs and deadlines

How to read this table: the steps follow the NBPNP page on gnb.ca. The Business Immigration stream adds steps after approval, covered further down.

Step	What happens	Cost or deadline
1. Check the stream requirements	Read the stream page, its application guide and the important notices	No fee
2. Create an INB account and submit an expression of interest	Choose a stream, not a pathway; the questionnaire answers decide which pathways apply	Free; valid 365 days from submission
3. Wait for an invitation to apply	Immigration New Brunswick invites selected candidates based on labour market needs, available allocation and government priorities	No set date; not first come, first served
4. Submit the complete nomination application	Upload the forms and documents through the INB account and pay the application fee	$250, or $2,000 for the Business Immigration stream; deadline set in the invitation letter
5. Completeness check and assessment	Missing mandatory documents close the application; an officer may ask for documents, phone, or send a procedural fairness letter	Assessment may take several months
6. Decision	A nomination certificate or a refusal letter is issued through the INB portal	No published service standard
7. Apply to IRCC for permanent residence	Through Express Entry or the non-Express Entry process, as the certificate indicates	Before the nomination certificate expires; federal fees apply

The rules that shape an expression of interest, all from the NBPNP page:

One active submission per profile. An INB profile can have only one active expression of interest or application.
Valid for 365 days. After that, a new expression of interest is needed to stay in the pool.
Changes mean a new submission. To update an expression of interest, the candidate withdraws it and submits a new one.
No queue. Expressions of interest are not considered on a first come, first served basis. Invitations depend on provincial labour market needs, available allocation and other priorities set by the Government of New Brunswick.
Work authorization stays the candidate’s responsibility. New Brunswick says candidates must maintain their authorization to work in Canada at all times.

After an invitation, the complete application goes through two stages. In the completeness check, an application that is missing the mandatory documents named in the application guide is closed. In the assessment, an officer may ask for more documents, phone the candidate from a private number, or send a procedural fairness letter that sets out concerns about eligibility. The decision, a nomination certificate or a refusal letter, arrives through the INB portal, which is the only way a certificate is issued.

What were the latest New Brunswick PNP draws?

The latest rounds on the gnb.ca invitation and selection rounds page were held in September 2026. No October 2026 round was listed when the page was read on October 8, 2026.

Latest NBPNP invitation rounds: September 2026

How to read this table: the cut-off is the deadline by which an expression of interest had to be in the pool to be considered. New Brunswick publishes no minimum score for its rounds.

Stream	Date of draw	Cut-off date and time	Pathways	Occupational categories selected	Invitations issued
New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	September 15 to 18, 2026	September 13, 2026, 11:59 pm (AST)	New Brunswick Graduates; New Brunswick Experience	Construction; Education, social and community services; Manufacturing; Other trades; Professional and IT; Sales and services	197
New Brunswick Express Entry stream	September 17, 2026	September 13, 2026, 11:59 pm (AST)	Employment in New Brunswick	Construction; Education, social and community services; Manufacturing; Other trades; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation	102
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	September 11, 2026	September 8, 2026, 11:59 pm (AST)	Francophone Workers in New Brunswick; New Brunswick Francophone Priorities	Construction; Education, social and community services; Manufacturing; Other trades; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation	251

The three September rounds add up to 550 invitations. Only the Skilled Worker stream, the Express Entry stream and the Strategic Initiative are subject to scheduled invitation draws; the rounds page shows nothing for the Business Immigration stream or the two pilots.

NBPNP invitations in 2026 by stream

NBPNP invitation rounds listed for 2026, by stream

How to read this table: counts and sums are worked out from the 26 NBPNP rows of the gnb.ca rounds table for 2026, where a row is one stream and pathway group on one draw date. Atlantic Immigration Program rows are left out because they count applications selected, not invitations.

Stream	Rounds listed	Invitations issued	Smallest round	Largest round	Latest round
New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	10	1,764	58	279	September 15 to 18, 2026
New Brunswick Express Entry stream	8	553	17	170	September 17, 2026
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	8	1,221	52	254	September 11, 2026

Across the three streams, gnb.ca lists 3,538 NBPNP invitations in 2026. The Skilled Worker stream accounts for 1,764 of them, or about half. The Strategic Initiative for French speakers comes second with 1,221, ahead of the Express Entry stream with 553.

All earlier NBPNP rounds in 2026

NBPNP invitation rounds from January to July 2026

How to read this table: rows are copied from the 'Previous invitations in 2026' table on gnb.ca, newest first, with the page's own category wording. 'All sectors' is the page's wording for rounds with no occupational filter. The page lists no NBPNP round for August 2026.

Date of draw	Stream	Pathways	Occupational categories selected	Invitations issued
July 18, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Graduates	Construction trades; Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Other trades; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation	209
July 16 to 18, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience; New Brunswick Priorities	Construction trades; Health care	58
July 16, 2026	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation	115
July 16, 2026	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	Francophone Workers in New Brunswick; New Brunswick Francophone Priorities	Education, social and community services; Food and accommodation; Health care; Manufacturing; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation	254
June 4, 2026	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	Construction trades; Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Professional and IT; Transportation	75
June 3, 2026	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	New Brunswick Francophone Priorities	Construction trades; Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Professional and IT; Sales and services; Transportation	94
June 3, 2026	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	Francophone Workers in New Brunswick	Construction trades; Education, social and community services; Health care; Manufacturing; Professional and IT; Transportation; Sales and services	52
June 3, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience	Construction trades; Health care	243
June 3, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Graduates	Education, social and community services; Construction trades; Health care; Transportation	138
May 3, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience; New Brunswick Graduates	All sectors	113
May 1, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience; New Brunswick Graduates	Healthcare	87
April 30, 2026	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	Healthcare; Professional & IT	17
April 30, 2026	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	New Brunswick Francophone Priorities; Francophone Workers in New Brunswick	All sectors	106
March 30, 2026	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	Health care; Professional and IT occupations	25
March 3-6, 2026	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	Health care; Education, social and community services; Construction trades; Professional occupations	29
March 3-6, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience; New Brunswick Graduates	Health care; Education, social and community services; Construction trades; Professional occupations	279
March 3-6, 2026	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	Francophone Workers in New Brunswick; New Brunswick Francophone Priorities	All sectors	189
February 11, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience; New Brunswick Graduates	Health care	196
February 2, 2026	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	All sectors	170
February 2, 2026	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	New Brunswick Francophone Priorities; Francophone Workers in New Brunswick	All sectors	160
January 13-15, 2026	New Brunswick Express Entry stream	Employment in New Brunswick	All sectors	20
January 13-15, 2026	New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream	New Brunswick Experience; New Brunswick Graduates	All sectors	244
January 13-15, 2026	New Brunswick Strategic Initiative	New Brunswick Francophone Priorities	All sectors	115

The table shows the effect of the notices. The Skilled Worker round of May 3, 2026 covered all sectors. After the May 4, 2026 limit, the rounds of June 3, 2026 and July 16 to 18, 2026 that covered the New Brunswick Experience pathway selected only construction trades and health care. The September 15 to 18, 2026 row combines the New Brunswick Graduates and New Brunswick Experience pathways under six categories, and the rounds page does not split those categories by pathway. Rounds in other provinces work differently: Ontario’s are tracked on the OINP draws page, and the Alberta PNP (AAIP) guide covers a system that publishes minimum scores.

Which occupations does the New Brunswick PNP not consider?

Since February 3, 2026 two lists apply to the Skilled Worker stream and the Express Entry stream. The first covers the accommodation and food services sector, where the notice names 13 occupation codes and says the list is not complete. The second covers 14 occupations in any sector.

Occupations not considered for the Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams

How to read this table: from the important notices page of Immigration New Brunswick, in effect since February 3, 2026. NOC is the National Occupational Classification.

NOC code	Occupation	Where the restriction applies
60030	Restaurant and food service managers	In the accommodation and food services sector
62020	Food service supervisors	In the accommodation and food services sector
62021	Executive housekeepers	In the accommodation and food services sector
62024	Cleaning supervisors	In the accommodation and food services sector
62200	Chefs	In the accommodation and food services sector
63200	Cooks	In the accommodation and food services sector
63202	Bakers	In the accommodation and food services sector
64300	Maîtres d'hôtel and hosts/hostesses	In the accommodation and food services sector
64301	Bartenders	In the accommodation and food services sector
64314	Hotel front desk clerks	In the accommodation and food services sector
65200	Food and beverage servers	In the accommodation and food services sector
65201	Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related occupations	In the accommodation and food services sector
65310	Light duty cleaners	In the accommodation and food services sector
14400	Shippers and receivers	In any sector
60020	Retail and wholesale trade managers	In any sector
62010	Retail sales supervisors	In any sector
62101	Retail and wholesale buyers	In any sector
63201	Butchers - retail and wholesale	In any sector
64100	Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers	In any sector
64409	Other customer and information services representatives	In any sector
65100	Cashiers	In any sector
65101	Service station attendants	In any sector
65102	Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers	In any sector
65202	Meat cutters and fishmongers - retail and wholesale	In any sector
94142	Fish and seafood plant workers	In any sector
95106	Labourers in food and beverage processing	In any sector
95107	Labourers in fish and seafood processing	In any sector

There is one exception in the notice. A candidate in one of the first 13 occupations can still submit an expression of interest if the employer is not directly in the accommodation or food service sector. The Strategic Initiative is not named in either list.

What does the Business Immigration stream require?

The Business Immigration stream is for entrepreneurs aged 19 to 59 who start or buy a business in New Brunswick and take part in its daily management. Nomination comes at the end, after the business has been operating.

New Brunswick Business Immigration stream: financial requirements and milestones

How to read this table: the reporting deadlines are counted from the entrepreneur's arrival on a work permit, after the application is approved; the request for nomination follows six months of business operations.

Requirement or milestone	What gnb.ca states
Personal net worth	At least $500,000, or $300,000 for an investment in the agriculture sector
Business experience	2 years within the last 5 years as owner of a private company (51% or more) or senior manager of a for-profit business, managing daily operations and supervising at least 2 employees
Business plan	At least $150,000 in eligible investments, creating at least one full-time job
Selection grid	65 out of 100 points
Report of arrival	Within one month of arrival
Request to update the business plan	Within three months of arrival, subject to approval
Report of business opening	Within nine months of arrival
Request for nomination	After six months of business operations under the Business Performance Agreement

The order differs from the worker streams. The entrepreneur submits an expression of interest, is invited, applies and pays the $2,000 fee, and then applies for a work permit once approved. The request for nomination follows six months of business operations under a Business Performance Agreement.

How do the two NBPNP pilot programs work?

New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot. The province describes it as a five-year pilot for occupations that are hard to fill. It is employer-driven: a candidate first accepts an offer from a participating employer, then creates an expression of interest. An invited candidate has 45 calendar days to submit a complete electronic application. Other employers cannot join for now.

Employers participating in the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot

How to read this table: the six employers named on the pilot page on October 8, 2026. New Brunswick says it evaluates the pilot regularly and that opportunities for participation may come up in the future.

Participating employer
Cooke Aquaculture
J.D. Irving Ltd.
Groupe Savoie
Groupe Westco
Imperial Manufacturing Group
McCain Foods, Ltd.

Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program. This pilot is for international graduates of select programs in education, social development and health at participating private career colleges, who are not eligible for a post-graduation work permit. It requires CLB 5 and a full-time, non-seasonal job offer directly related to the program of study. Timing is tight: the graduate must be nominated and apply for a closed work permit before the study permit expires and within 90 days of the program completion date on the final transcript.

What happens after an NBPNP nomination?

A nomination certificate is not permanent residence. The nominee applies to IRCC, which makes the final decision, and is expected to apply before the certificate expires. The Critical Worker Pilot page puts the validity of a certificate at six months from the date of issuance.

Express Entry or not. The certificate states which process applies. In Express Entry, IRCC awards 600 additional points for a provincial nomination; the CRS calculator shows a score with and without them, and the rounds that follow are on the Express Entry draws page.
Family members. They must be included in the permanent residence application, as accompanying or non-accompanying.
No switching. Once nominated, a person and their family members cannot apply under another New Brunswick program or stream, and cannot withdraw the certificate in order to reapply.
Work permits. A nominee may qualify for a bridging open work permit, or may ask Immigration New Brunswick for a letter of support for a closed work permit with the employer.
Changes. A change of employment, an error on the certificate or a request to extend it goes to Immigration New Brunswick on its post-nomination request form.

Questions go to the Immigration Navigation Service at 506-451-2083, Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.

NBPNP or the Atlantic Immigration Program?

Immigration New Brunswick runs two candidate pools. The NBPNP pool holds expressions of interest. The Atlantic Immigration Program pool holds complete endorsement applications tied to a designated employer, and the rounds page reports them as applications selected for processing.

A person can be in both pools, but must create a separate INB profile with a different email address for each program, and can move forward with only one. An invitation under an NBPNP stream means withdrawing all other submissions. If an Atlantic Immigration Program endorsement application is selected for processing, all expressions of interest must be withdrawn. More than one active application could lead to all of them being refused.

What mistakes cost NBPNP candidates an invitation or a nomination?

Treating an expression of interest as an application. It is a place in a pool, with no guarantee of an invitation.
Missing a restriction notice. An expression of interest from a restricted sector or occupation is not considered for the Skilled Worker or Express Entry streams.
Letting the 365 days run out. An expired expression of interest is no longer in the pool.
Keeping two active submissions. One INB profile, one active expression of interest or application.
Sending an incomplete application. An application without the mandatory documents is closed at the completeness check, and the fee is non-refundable.
Counting on a decision before a work permit expires. Immigration New Brunswick gives no such guarantee.
Paying the employer’s compliance fee. That fee is the employer’s responsibility.
Reading a nomination as permanent residence. IRCC decides the permanent residence application.

What changes next for the New Brunswick PNP?

Dated changes and end dates on Immigration New Brunswick pages

How to read this table: from the important notices page, read on October 8, 2026.

Date	Change
February 3, 2026	Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams stopped considering expressions of interest from the accommodation and food services sector and from 14 listed occupations in any sector.
May 4, 2026	New invitations under the New Brunswick Experience pathway of the Skilled Worker stream were limited to health care, education and construction occupations, until further notice.
September 14, 2026	Atlantic Immigration Program employer designation intake stays paused for the remainder of 2026. This is a separate program from the NBPNP.
End of 2027	The Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program, launched in September 2022 as a 3-year project, runs in a limited capacity until then.

The three-sector limit on New Brunswick Experience invitations runs until further notice, with no end date. New rounds are added to the invitation and selection rounds page after they are held, and new restrictions appear on the important notices page. This guide is updated when either page changes.

The provincial nominee program guide by province sets the NBPNP beside the other provincial programs. Candidates whose New Brunswick job depends on an employer-specific work permit can see how those permits are approved in the LMIA guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NBPNP?

The NBPNP is the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program, the province's own pathway to permanent residence for foreign nationals who want to live and work, or run a business, in New Brunswick. Immigration New Brunswick selects and nominates candidates based on their skills, education and work experience in relation to the province's economic needs. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) then makes the final decision on the permanent residence application.

Is the New Brunswick PNP open in 2026?

New Brunswick does not label its streams open or closed. On October 8, 2026 the pages for all 4 streams explained how to submit an expression of interest, and no NBPNP stream carried a pause notice. Two limits were in force: sector and occupation restrictions on the Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams since February 3, 2026, and a three-sector limit on New Brunswick Experience invitations since May 4, 2026.

How much does the New Brunswick PNP cost?

Submitting an expression of interest is free. Before submitting a complete nomination application, an invited candidate pays a non-refundable fee of $250 for the Skilled Worker stream, the Express Entry stream, the Strategic Initiative or the Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program, and $2,000 for the Business Immigration stream. The Critical Worker Pilot page states no candidate fee. IRCC's permanent residence fees are separate and come after a nomination.

What was the latest New Brunswick PNP draw?

The latest rounds on the gnb.ca invitation and selection rounds page were held in September 2026. The Skilled Worker stream round of September 15 to 18, 2026 issued 197 invitations, the Express Entry stream round of September 17, 2026 issued 102, and the Strategic Initiative round of September 11, 2026 issued 251. No October 2026 round was listed when the page was read on October 8, 2026.

Do you need a job offer for the New Brunswick PNP?

For most routes, yes. The Skilled Worker stream requires a full-time, non-seasonal job or job offer from an eligible employer that has operated in New Brunswick for the past 24 months. The Express Entry stream's Employment in New Brunswick pathway requires current full-time work in the province. Routes without a New Brunswick job offer are narrow: a letter of interest under the Express Entry or Strategic Initiative streams, Francophone graduates, Francophones working remotely for a Canadian employer outside Quebec, and the Business Immigration stream.

How long is an NBPNP expression of interest valid?

An expression of interest stays in the NBPNP candidate pool for 365 days from the date of submission. To change it, the candidate withdraws the current one and submits a new one. Immigration New Brunswick says expressions of interest are not considered on a first come, first served basis, so withdrawing and resubmitting does not move a candidate to the back of a queue.

How long does NBPNP processing take?

New Brunswick publishes no service standard. The NBPNP page says that, because of a high volume of applications, assessment may take several months. The important notices page adds that Immigration New Brunswick is unable to provide processing times for individual applications and cannot guarantee a decision before a work permit expires. Candidates remain responsible for keeping their authorization to work in Canada valid throughout.

What language score do you need for the New Brunswick PNP?

It depends on the stream. The Skilled Worker stream and the Business Immigration stream require Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in all four skills. The Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program requires CLB 5, and the Express Entry stream CLB 7. The Strategic Initiative is for French speakers and requires level 5 in all four French skills on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC).

Does a New Brunswick nomination add CRS points?

Only for a nomination through the Express Entry process. IRCC awards 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points to an Express Entry candidate who holds a provincial nomination. The New Brunswick nomination certificate states whether the nominee applies for permanent residence through Express Entry or through the non-Express Entry process; nominees on the non-Express Entry route have no CRS score in play.

Can you apply to the NBPNP and the Atlantic Immigration Program at the same time?

A person can be in both candidate pools, but only with a separate INB profile and a different email address for each program, and can move forward with only one. An INB profile can hold only one active expression of interest or application. A candidate invited under an NBPNP stream must withdraw all other submissions. Immigration New Brunswick warns that more than one active application could lead to all of them being refused.

Which jobs are restricted under the New Brunswick PNP?

Since February 3, 2026 the Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams do not consider expressions of interest from candidates working in the accommodation and food services sector, with 13 occupation codes named as examples, such as cooks, chefs and food service supervisors. A further 14 occupations are not considered in any sector, including retail salespersons, cashiers, shippers and receivers, and fish and seafood plant workers.

Part of our Provincial Nominee Program: how PNP nomination works in every province.

Rules, rates and sources

Last verified: October 11, 2026
Next scheduled check: November 10, 2026

Rule or table	In effect from	Verified
NBPNP streams, stream status, requirements, fees, steps and 2026 invitation rounds	May 4, 2026	October 11, 2026
New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) streams and fees	May 4, 2026	October 11, 2026

Official sources

New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (expression of interest validity) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream (fee) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
New Brunswick Express Entry stream (points) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
New Brunswick Strategic Initiative (points) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
New Brunswick Business Immigration stream (fee) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot (participation) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
Private Career College Graduate Pilot Program (90-day rule) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
Important notices (Private Career College Graduate Pilot extension) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
Invitation and selection rounds (latest Skilled Worker round) - gnb.ca — Government of New Brunswick (Immigration New Brunswick)
Immigrate as a provincial nominee - how to apply (IRCC) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Immigrate as a provincial nominee - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

How we check figures: our methodology and editorial policy.

General information for education, not financial, tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules change — confirm anything you act on with the official source or a licensed professional (for immigration, a lawyer or a licensed consultant registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants).

What is the New Brunswick PNP, and which NBPNP streams are open?

What are the New Brunswick PNP streams in 2026?

Which NBPNP streams are open, limited or paused?

What are the requirements for each NBPNP stream?

Pathways inside each stream

How much does the New Brunswick PNP cost?

How do you apply to the New Brunswick PNP?

What were the latest New Brunswick PNP draws?

NBPNP invitations in 2026 by stream

All earlier NBPNP rounds in 2026

Which occupations does the New Brunswick PNP not consider?

What does the Business Immigration stream require?

How do the two NBPNP pilot programs work?

What happens after an NBPNP nomination?

NBPNP or the Atlantic Immigration Program?

What mistakes cost NBPNP candidates an invitation or a nomination?

What changes next for the New Brunswick PNP?

Related guides and tools

Frequently asked questions

Rules, rates and sources