The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NB PNP) is heavily employer-driven, targeting workers with permanent job offers from NB employers. Recent pilots include the Critical Worker Pilot (TEER 4/5 jobs) and Strategic Initiative for francophones.
NB PNP at a glance
- Annual allocation: ~2,600 nominations
- Processing time: 6–8 months
- Application fee: CAD $250
- Strength: Employer-driven + francophone priority
- Calculator: Free NB PNP calculator
NB PNP streams
| Stream | Best for | Job offer needed? |
|---|---|---|
| NB Express Entry | EE candidates with NB job offer or strong ties | Yes (or NB connection) |
| NB Skilled Workers with Employer Support | Foreign workers with NB employer offer | Yes |
| Critical Worker Pilot | TEER 4/5 workers (food service, hospitality, retail, manufacturing) | Yes (designated employer) |
| Strategic Initiative | French-speaking candidates with NB labour-market alignment | Varies |
| NB Entrepreneurial | Business investors (CAD $250K+ net worth, $150K+ investment) | N/A |
| NB Business — Self-Employed | Self-employed pros (no EE required) | N/A |
Critical Worker Pilot — for TEER 4/5 occupations
Unique among major PNPs, NB's Critical Worker Pilot accepts lower-skilled workers (TEER 4/5):
- Food and beverage servers, cooks, kitchen helpers
- Front desk/hotel agents, housekeeping
- Cashiers, retail salespersons
- Production workers, assemblers, packagers
The employer must be a designated employer (an approved program partner like Cooke Aquaculture, McCain Foods, Murphy Hospitality, etc.).
Strategic Initiative — francophone priority
For French-speaking candidates wanting to settle in New Brunswick (Canada's only officially bilingual province):
- Strong French language proficiency required (CLB 7+ French)
- English secondary acceptable (CLB 4+)
- Education, work experience, and "settlement potential" assessed
- Job offer not always required if profile is strong
Step-by-step NB PNP application
- Find a designated NB employer (Critical Worker Pilot) OR get any NB employer job offer (Skilled Workers stream)
- Submit EOI with required documents
- Receive Invitation to Apply (varies by stream and demand)
- Submit complete application within deadline
- Receive nomination — 600 CRS if Express Entry-aligned
- Federal PR application
Common NB PNP refusal reasons
- Employer not properly designated for the Critical Worker Pilot
- Job duties don't match claimed NOC at 51%+
- Inadequate French proof for Strategic Initiative stream
- Settlement funds inadequate
Useful official resources
French speaker or TEER 4/5 worker? NB has unique pilots for you. Try our free NB PNP calculator.
