New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP): Streams and Eligibility

Canada's only officially bilingual province gives French-language ability real weight, and runs employer-led streams alongside the federal Atlantic Immigration Program.

What the NBPNP is

The New Brunswick nominee programme lets the province select candidates who match its own labour-market needs and nominate them for Canadian permanent residence. A nomination does not itself grant status — you still apply to the federal government — but it is decisive, because an enhanced nomination adds 600 CRS points to an Express Entry profile, which in practice guarantees an invitation.

The main streams

• New Brunswick Express Entry — Enhanced stream drawing from the federal pool, with provincial priorities applied.
• Skilled Worker with Employer Support — A base stream built around a genuine New Brunswick job offer.
• Atlantic Immigration Program — Federal-provincial route shared with the other Atlantic provinces, requiring a designated-employer offer and a settlement plan.
• Entrepreneurial and Strategic Initiative streams — For business establishment, and for francophone candidates recruited through provincial initiatives.

Enhanced or base?

As with every Canadian province, New Brunswick's streams split in two. Enhanced streams require an active Express Entry profile and add the 600-point block. Base streams bypass Express Entry entirely — you apply to the province, then separately to Ottawa. Base streams are slower, but they do not care about your CRS score, which makes them the realistic option for candidates whose age or language scores would never clear a federal draw.

Who it suits

French-English bilingual candidates, and skilled workers with an offer from a designated Atlantic employer.

Before you apply

Provincial streams open, close, and change criteria at short notice, and several operate limited intake windows. Confirm the current position with New Brunswick's own immigration authority before preparing an application — a nomination programme that was open last quarter may not be open now.

See how New Brunswick fits the wider picture in our guide to every Canadian immigration pathway, or read the full Canada programme dossier.