The guide below takes a deep look into one of the streams of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), the New Brunswick Skilled Worker (NBSW) stream. The guide will go through an overview of the stream, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.
NB Skilled Worker – Overview
The New Brunswick Skilled Worker (NBSW) stream is one of New Brunswick’s PNP streams that does require the candidate to hold a job offer to be eligible.
When receiving a nomination under the NBSW stream, candidates can then apply for Permanent Residence to the federal government of Canada.
This stream is not aligned with Express Entry, and if nominated, a candidate cannot take advantage of the 6-month average processing times of applications under Express Entry. Processing times of Provincial Nominee Programs when not using the Express Entry system are usually longer and take at least 1 year.
The NBSW stream requires a valid job offer and previous work experience as its main eligibility requirements, and candidates do not need to provide proof of funds. There are other requirements that must be fulfilled regarding the candidate, the employer and the job offer.
NB Skilled Worker – Eligibility
Effective May 17, 2024:
- Invitations to apply will be temporarily paused for any expression of interest submitted after May 17th, 2024.
- Invitations to apply will continue to be extended to all eligible French-speaking candidates that meet the minimum proficiency level of CLB4 in all four language competencies with a qualifying job or job offer in a TEER 0,1,2,3 or 4 occupation.
There are 7 main categories of eligibility requirements that we will summarize below. You may be eligible to the New Brunswick Skilled Worker (NBSW) stream if you satisfy to all the requirements below:
Age
You must be between 19 et 55 years old to be eligible when submitting a complete application.
Language proficiency
You must demonstrate you meet the minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) requirements for each language skill, either in French or in English, which is CLB4 for the first official language.
Education
You are considered eligible to the stream if you have at least a Canadian secondary (high school) diploma or foreign equivalent. If the educational credential is from a foreign (non-Canadian) institution or authority, you must also submit an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by an approved provider.
Intent to reside in New Brunswick
To establish intent, you may be asked to demonstrate your attachment to New Brunswick, that may include, but are not limited to:
- description of any actions taken to permanently settle in New Brunswick;
- prior or current employment/studies in New Brunswick;
- employment search details;
- community involvement;
- ability to support yourself in New Brunswick;
- family ties and other social relationships and connections;
- details of prior visits to Canada; and
- your connection to other jurisdictions in Canada.
Work experience
To be eligible to the NBSW stream, you need to have at least one year of full-time (1,560 hours full-time or equivalent part-time) work experience related to the job offer in the last 5 years.
The NOC TEER Category of the work experience must be equal to or greater than the NOC TEER Category of the job offer.
Work experience is not required for international graduates, with a minimum one-year degree, diploma or certificate from a New Brunswick university, college, trade or technical school, or other accredited institute and are eligible for a post-graduate work permit.
Job offer
You will need to receive, from an eligible employer, a permanent, unconditional, full time, year-round (non-seasonal) employment offer.
International graduates on a federal post-graduate work permit are not eligible to apply if their job offer falls under NOC TEER Category 4 or 5.
The offered wage must be competitive with New Brunswick wage rates for the occupation.
If the intended job offer is in a regulated occupation, you are required to be certified or licensed by the regulatory authority for that occupation.
Selection factors 100-point assessment grid
To be eligible to the NBSW stream, you need to score a minimum of 60 points out of a 100 in the following point assessment grid.
Remember that for each factor you will be claiming points for, you will have to provide supporting documents to prove you satisfy the criteria of the factor.
| 100-point assessment grid | Maximum Points |
|---|---|
| Factor 1 – Age | 10 |
| Factor 2 – Official languages | 28 |
| Factor 3 – Education | 20 |
| Factor 4 – Work experience | 20 |
| Factor 5 – Priority sectors | 10 |
| Factor 6 – Adaptability | 12 |
| Total | 100 |
| Minimum required | 60 |
Factor 1 – Age (Max 10 points):
You can score up to 10 points in this factor. You must be between 19 et 55 years old to be eligible. Your age taken into consideration is the one as of the day that a complete application is submitted to the NBPNP (post receiving the invitation to apply).
| Factor 1 – Age | Points |
|---|---|
| Under 19 years old | Not eligible |
| 19 to 21 years old | 8 |
| 22 to 55 years old | 10 |
| 56 years old and older | Not eligible |
Factor 2 – Official languages (Max 28 points):
You must demonstrate you meet the minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) requirements for each language skill, either in French or in English, which is CLB4 for the first official language. You can get a maximum of 24 points.
If you have test results for a second official language, you can get 4 additional points if you score CLB4 or more on all 4 language abilities (more about approved language tests here).
| Factor 2 – Official languages | Writing | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Max points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First official language | CLB7 or higher | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 |
| CLB5 or CLB6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||
| CLB4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| CLB3 or less in one of the four language abilities | Not eligible | |||||
| Second official language | CLB4 or higher in all language abilities | 4 | ||||
Factor 3 – Education (Max 20 points):
You must submit a completed Canadian secondary or post-secondary educational credential, or if the educational credential is from a foreign (non-Canadian) institution or authority, you must also submit an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by an approved provider. You can score up to 20 points in this factor.
You are considered ineligible to the stream if you don’t have at least a Canadian secondary (high school) diploma or foreign equivalent.
| Factor 3 – Education | Points |
|---|---|
| Doctoral (PhD) degree | 20 |
| Master’s degree OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy) | 20 |
| Two or more credentials, with a least one for a program of three years or more | 19 |
| Bachelor’s degree OR Post-secondary credential of at least three years | 19 |
| Post-secondary credential of two years | 18 |
| Post-secondary credential of one year | 17 |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 15 |
| Less than a Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | Not eligible |
Factor 4 – Work Experience (Max 20 points):
To be eligible to this stream, you must demonstrate that you have at least one year of full-time (1,560 hours full-time or equivalent part-time) work experience in an occupation related to the job offer in the past 5 years. You can score a maximum of 20 points.
Work experience is not required for international graduates , with a minimum one-year degree, diploma or certificate from a New Brunswick university, college, trade or technical school, or other accredited institute and are eligible for a post-graduate work permit.
| Factor 4 – Work Experience | Points |
|---|---|
| 5 years | 20 |
| 4 years | 16 |
| 3 years | 12 |
| 2 years | 8 |
| 1 year | 5 |
| Less than 1 year | Not eligible unless NB graduate |
Factor 5 – Priority sectors (Max 10 points):
You can score up to 10 points if your intended occupation is in one of the following priority sectors.
| Factor 5 – Priority sectors | Points |
|---|---|
| Intended occupation is in (i) health care, (ii) education, (iii) skilled trades, (iv) forestry or (v) the information technology sector, and your employer can demonstrate that they have been unable to identify qualified candidates in the local labour market | 10 |
Factor 6 – Adaptability (Max 12 points)
You can earn a maximum of 12 points in this factor.
| Factor 6 – Adaptability | Points |
|---|---|
| Have at least two years of full-time work in New Brunswick in the past 5 years | 10 |
| Working in New Brunswick on a work permit based on the employer’s positive LMIA | 8 |
| Have at least one year of full-time work in New Brunswick in the past 5 years OR International student graduate from a post-secondary institution in New Brunswick with at least six months of work experience in New Brunswick (including while a student) | 7 |
| Have at least two academic years of full-time study at a post-secondary accredited institution in New Brunswick | 10 |
| Have at least one academic year of full-time study at a post-secondary accredited institution in New Brunswick | 7 |
| You or your spouse/partner have a relative, permanent resident or Canadian citizen, residing in New Brunswick in the 12 months preceding submission of the application. The relative can be a (i) parent, (ii) grandparent, (iii) child of a parent (sibling), (iv) child of a grandparent (uncle or aunt), (v) grandchild of a parent (nephew or niece), or (vi) step-family members or in-laws of the same relationships. | 5 |
| Spouse/partner has a language level in either English or French at CLB4 or higher in all 4 language abilities OR Spouse/partner has at least one year of full-time work in New Brunswick in the past 5 years | 5 |
NB Skilled Worker – Application Process
For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the New Brunswick Skilled Worker (NBSW) stream. Candidates must:
- Qualify for the NBPNP stream eligibility requirements and submit an Expression of Interest on the INB portal.
- Receive an Invitation to Apply through their INB portal.
- Apply to the NBSW stream, maximum 45 days after receiving the invitation, by submitting their application through INB portal (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Apply for permanent residence to the federal government (IRCC) within 6 months of receiving the nomination (after NBPNP processes their application). Candidates will need to apply on paper to IRCC, and include the nomination documents received from the NBPNP. A work permit support letter may be issued if they do not have a valid work permit or their current work permit will expire within 180 days.
NB Skilled Worker – Application Fees
NB Skilled Worker – Processing Times
NB Skilled Worker – Latest News & Data
NB Skilled Worker – In-Demand Occupations?
Some streams target specific NOC codes, meaning that if you have experience in those in-demand jobs, you either (i) have more chances to be invited or (ii) that you can be eligible to the stream.
In the case of the New Brunswick Skilled Worker stream, there is no in-demand occupation list. However, a job offer is needed that depends on the needs of employer in the province.
